FlipFlop
by Minstrel of Ages
Summary: [COMPLETE] SPM, AU. In a time of need, a young girl must stand tall to stop the legacy of the Dark Prognosticus. Timpani is given the duty of finding four heroes, eight pure hearts, and defeating an insane count. Saving the universe is never easy.
1. Episode One

**(Author's Notes: BWAHAHA! My newest project has been set in motion! I had this really weird idea when I went on my trip to DC that I would make some kind of Super Paper Mario fanfiction besides oneshots, and I came up with this screwed up idea! A slight Magical Girl Story with Tippi/Timpani as the main character! I'm going to have a lot of fun with this one. But it took me two hours just to write this first chapter, so the others are going to take a lot longer. I hope you all enjoy!) **

**F L I P . // . F L O P**

_The Dark __Prognosticus' power is growing; I can feel it, Merlee. _

_**Can you, Merlon, dear wizard who arches his brow? Is Flipside truly in danger now?**_

_Not just Flipside. Every dimension. Every world is in peril because of that book. _

_**I see. Will you be finding the dear savior of light and the heroes who shall set our world free?**_

_It is up to her now, Merlee. It is up to her to stop __**him**__ from swallowing our world with the Chaos Heart. I shall awaken her strength, and she shall bring forth the Eight Pure hearts and the Four Heroes. Dear Merlee, will you help me?_

_**I will give you the greatest amount of help. If you need any assistance, just give me a yelp. Goodbye, my dear friend. I shall pray that this world will not end…**_

**Episode One: A Mysterious Wizard! Rainbow Tippi Awakens**

Flipside. A normal city where normal humans spend their day of work, play, and school. Everything was peaceful in the morning until the scream of a normal, everyday female student filled the air.

"NOOO! I can't be late!"

A brunette girl burst out a door, a piece of bacon trailing out of her mouth as she rushed out onto the street. She wore the typical uniform for the city's only public high school, a backpack strapped onto her back. The backpack was a little worn, since she used it for her entire middle school year and didn't bother to buy a new one. She was about 5' 5"; her figure was slim, but not slim enough to be a model or athlete. Her hair was a chocolate brown, trailing to the middle of her back. It was tied into a ponytail, which was at a lower point on the back of her head. Her bangs were evenly divided between the two sides of her head, and a pair of glasses covered her blue eyes. Her uniform consisted of a white blouse and a yellow skirt with a matching tie, the colors of the Flipside Public School. She wore mismatched socks, probably a result of waking up late. One was red and purple striped, while the other was a bright blue and pink striped. It was a pity that they were knee length socks. She was going to get in trouble for not looking 'neat'.

"Timpani, watch out!"

A sudden voice made the worried girl come to a stop, tripping over her own feet. She slammed to the pavement, a large red mark now on her face. Her glasses nearly came to shattering, and she glared as she saw who stopped her.

"LULU! I'm in a hurry!" the girl addressed as Timpani snapped, rubbing her nose. "Honestly…"

'_Hello, I'm Timpani. I'm fifteen years old, born on March 18__th__. That makes me a Pisces, I think. I live in Flipside, and today's my first day of school. In middle school, you would have considered me to be one of the geeky kids, but when you got a glance of my classmate Francis, you would have been shivering. I get good grades, I suppose._'

"Sorry, Timpani." Her friend addressed as Lulu apologized. This girl, unlike Timpani, was dressed all in green. She wore a green cap over her flat, brown hair that was cut short to look like a stereotypical tomboyish style. She wore the same uniform, but the scheme was all in the jade green color. The skirt was green, and her socks were also the same color. Even her shoes! Her eyes were blue, however. But they had the slight teal thing to it.

'_That's my best friend Lulu. We've been best friends since middle school. She's really good at acrobatics and jumping, but her dream is to compete professionally someday. She's fifteen like me, and her birthday's on January 29__th__. She's an Aquarius, right? I'm not that great on astrology, but I like it._'

The two girls continued down the street and down to the school building. They began to talk about how their summer was, and whom else they used to know would be in the class. They weren't entirely sure of who would be in class with them this year. High School was a tough transition, after all.

"Did you hear from anyone we know?" Lulu questioned Timpani. Timpani shook her head.

"Nope. No one. I suppose they all moved away quicker than I thought…" Timpani sighed as she remembered her old friends who explained that they wouldn't be there for the high school year. It made her sad, but it was a chance to make some new ones. She was pretty thankful that Lulu was staying, though.

"Do you know any of the new students?" Timpani found herself asking. Lulu shook her head.

"None. But I know that they're all pretty interesting, according to the teachers." Lulu explained.

"Why do you talk with the teachers?" Timpani asked, giving her a look of confusion. Lulu shrugged.

"Um, I just think they make good friends I guess…" Lulu said with a smile, letting her shoulders go after her shrug. They finally made it to the school before the bell rang, which was a relief to the both of them.

"I know how much you hate to be late, Timpani. Don't wanna ruin your record on the first day, right?" Lulu asked, laughing.

"Oh, shut up." Timpani said, smiling. They got into the classroom, which was surprisingly small. It only had twelve desks, four rows of three lined up to the back of the room. A white board was in front of all of them, including the desk of the teacher. The teacher was already there, along with a bunch of the students. There were only a few more, which made the two girls puzzled.

"Is this our entire class?" Lulu asked the teacher. The teacher nodded without glancing over at Lulu. "Wow." Lulu turned to see that it was a majority of men and two girls talking about the area. No matter how small it was, there was a lot of diversity.

"Alright, let's all sit down." The teacher finally spoke up. As she said those words, every student made their way to their seat. Timpani saw that there were little post-it notes on the desks with everyone's name on them. She tried to find her desk, finding it on the right side of the second row. She looked at the name on the desk next to her.

'_Blumiere? What a cool name…_' she thought, examining the name with a smile.

"Out of my way, urchin!" a snappy female voice came from behind Timpani, shoving her back into the desk. A green-haired teenage girl made her way to the third row, sitting in the middle seat there. Her hair was tied into two, cute pigtails with yellow ribbons. She looked very spoiled and self-centered from her attire. She wasn't even wearing the school uniform! Only the richer kids got to do that…

'_She must be rich._' Timpani thought, sitting down at her desk. A black-haired boy soon followed the spoiled girl. His uniform had the black theme, and he lacked a tie. His hair was untidy, but seemed to make some of the unknown students whisper to each other. His eyes were what made Timpani shiver, however. They were yellow. A cold, harsh yellow. It scared Timpani slightly, making her shake in her seat. She wondered if others felt the same.

Another girl soon filled the seat two places away from her to the far left of the second row. Her blonde hair was neatly done, and she wore a light shade of pink lipstick. Her uniform was pink, and she gave everyone a cheerful smile that looked at her. Even Timpani got a wave and a smile when she made eye contact.

"Hello, are you a new student?" the kind girl asked. Timpani nodded. "I really hope you enjoy it here! I also hope that we'll be friends. My name is Peach." The girl introduced.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Timpani." Timpani introduced herself, trying to match a kind smile. '_She seems really giddy…_' Timpani thought. Soon came the 'thomping' noise that came from the brawny, punk student. His hair was a fiery orange, and completely messy. His uniform's sleeves were cut off, showing his arms off entirely.

"It's against school policy to do that, sir." The teacher said sharply as he walked into the room.

"'Oy! Yer policy doesn't need ta apply fer me!" the student snapped back.

"Chunk, please, that's embarrassing. He doesn't mean to be so snappy, he hasn't had his juice this morning, 'K?" came another voice from behind him. That was the voice of another girl, who seemed all official and studious.

"You two must be Chunk and Natasha. Please, find your desks. Now all we need are Mute, Burly and Blumiere." The teacher said, giving a glare to Chunk before the two went to find their seats.

"Blumiere's on his way. He'll be here very soon, 'K?" Natasha explained to the teacher. "No worries miss."

"You're very on task, aren't you miss Natasha?" the teacher asked with a smile. "You should run for the grade's president. You seem to be very organized." The teacher offered.

"Thanks, miss. However, I have other obligations." Natasha explained, showing a weak smile. Her purple-pink hair was tied into a bun, and she carried a clipboard that she gripped to her chest with her right hand. She was very tall and wore the same black uniform that the creepy kid was wearing, only this time, it seemed a little grayer and didn't make Timpani shake. She also had a pair of glasses over her purple eyes, which made Timpani feel a little better that she wasn't the only one with glasses.

Soon after, a short boy made his way into the classroom. His uniform was red, and he wore a red cap on his head. His desk was right next to Lulu's, right in the back. He didn't say a word, but he had a jolly smile on like nothing was wrong with the world.

"What's your name?" Lulu asked the boy, turning to him. The boy didn't answer, but he smiled. He simply waved and took out a piece of paper, writing down a simple sentence.

_My name is Mute._

"Ah-ha…" Lulu said, reading it. "Very interesting. Is that a nickname? Or maybe you knew from the beginning of your life that you wouldn't talk or whatever?" Lulu asked, wondering why he called himself that. Mute shrugged before he turned before him to hear the rude sound of interruption.

"DAMMIT! You're going here too?!"

Another brawny, punk kid arrived. He looked extremely similar to that other kid, Chunk, but he actually looked dangerous. His hair was spiked up; two ends dyed yellow while the rest was red. To Timpani, it looked like horns. His uniform was green, and like Chunk, the sleeves were cut off.

"Burly, I assume. We don't curse in class." The teacher stated.

"B-but, I was told that I would never go to school with that…that…STUPID MUTE!" Burly yelled, glaring at the red-capped boy in the back.

"Get used to it." The spoiled girl was rubbing her ears at the volume of his yelling. "I do believe you're sitting next to him, too." The spoiled girl added.

"W-WHAT?! No way! No freakin' way am I sitting next to him! He'll be toast in seconds!" Burly explained.

"So, you're worried about yourself harming him? That's awfully sweet of you, Burly!" came the cheerful voice of Peach. Burly turned his head, seeing the pink-uniformed teenager nearby.

"Peach? You're here too? Oh, sweet! At least that's good…" Burly whispered the last part. Timpani took a glance at the three students, being Peach, Burly, and Mute. They all seemed to know each other well in some way. "But no way am I worried for that guy!" Burly snapped back, realizing that she was calling him soft.

"Since we have a majority of our students here, I shall begin class. We are only missing Blumiere, and I assume he'll be here soon. Let's start off our first lesson of the day. We're going to introduce ourselves, and say one thing we want to accomplish in this class. This is class 9-3, and you will be with each other for the rest of the year, so you'd all better get along." The teacher explained. "Let's start with you." The teacher pointed to the spoiled girl, who stood up right away.

"My name is Mimi!" she said happily, beaming at the sound of her annoying voice. "I want to learn how to make lots and lots of money in the real world!" she yelled, making everyone cringe at the volume of her voice.

"Alright, Mimi." The teacher turned to the next student. "What about you?" the boy who creped out Timpani stood, making Mimi sit down.

"My name is Damien." The boy said. His voice wasn't as cold as his appearance, which was a relief to Timpani. Maybe he wasn't so bad. "I'd like to join the drama program and go up on stage sometime." Damien explained, smiling. Actually, it was more like a grin. That grin on that creepy face seemed to calm Timpani's nerves. This guy didn't seem too bad after all.

"Ya little puny students!" the brawny, orange Chunk stood up next. "Chunk is me name 'n I want ter be on a team of some sport!" he exclaimed, thrusting his arm into the air and showing off his large muscles to the group. Every student gave him a strange look, but Timpani also noticed that Mimi was giggling.

"I'm Natasha." Came the slightly meek voice of the organized student. "I really hope to get to know everyone here." She said, adjusting her glasses. "Plus I really want to organize some class events and be a part of the community." Natasha explained.

"Excellent!" the teacher praised. "I am so happy to see an active member of the class! And we haven't even begun our lessons!" she turned to Burly next.

"I'm Burly, and you guys better listen to what I tell you! You mess with me or my friends, and you're TOAST!" Burly yelled, glaring at every student. "Especially you, Mute!"

"Burly, sit down. Now, Mute, you can go next." The teacher said, turning to the silent boy. Mute stood up and walked to the front of the class, taking a marker at the white board and scribbling two sentences on the board.

_Hi, I'm Mute. I'd really like to make friends with the new students that I haven't met before. _

"That's so nice, Mute! However, it will be a little bit of a problem that you can't speak in class…" the teacher noted. Mute wrote a couple more sentences.

_Sorry, miss. I just can't do that. _

"Oh, don't worry about it for now. We'll come up with a way, alrighty?" the teacher asked, smiling. She directed her head towards Peach.

"I'm Peach, and I'm really happy to meet all of you." Peach bowed her head to the class, flipping her blonde hair to the side of her head. It was in the way before.

"And next we have you, over there in the back!" the teacher called to Lulu. Lulu stood up, smiling.

"I'm Lulu, and I want to accomplish a lot of things this year. I want to get the best marks in gym, because I want to go on to be a great acrobat!" Lulu cheered, smirking. Some of the class applauded at her energy, including Timpani.

"And last…" the teacher was about to tell Timpani to get up when the door to the classroom opened. The last boy came into the room, his neat, dark blue hair suddenly becoming not so tidy at the speed he was running at. He took in a gasp before speaking, capturing the attention of the entire class.

"Sorry I'm late…" he muttered, moving into the classroom. "I had something I had to take care of."

"It's no problem, but you have to be here earlier from now on." The teacher explained, folding her arms across her chest.

"Right…" the boy said, making his way to the center seat in the second row, next to Timpani. Sweat was visible on his face, where his now messy dark blue hair was frizzled around his forehead and almost covered his brown eyes. His uniform was the normal shade of blue, and he gave a kind look to Timpani as he sat down. Timpani smiled back before standing up to introducing herself.

"Um, I'm Timpani. I suppose I want to…learn a lot this year?" Timpani was never really sure of her goals in life. Her parents wanted her to be a doctor, but Timpani always wanted to be a biologist. She loved the study of living things, it always made her happy. Biology was similar to being a doctor, she always assumed.

"That's a good goal, miss Timpani. I heard you are a fantastic student from your previous teachers." The teacher said, smiling at her. Timpani's face turned red.

"Um…well…" Timpani stuttered.

"Are you kidding? She's a genius!" Lulu joined in, making Timpani's face turn a deeper shade of red. She didn't know that she could be embarrassed this much on the first day. She sat back down in her desk, trying to hide the blush on her face. The last student stood up, the boy who came late.

"My name is Blumiere, and I'm a new student here. I also just moved to Flipside, so I want to get to know the place better." He introduced, standing up and sitting down quickly.

"Well, I'm sure one of the students can give you a tour of the city if you want." The teacher said, smiling.

"Now, let's begin our lesson!"

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

The day went on for what seemed like forever. High school really was tough, but Timpani still kept herself alive through the boring lessons of history and English. Her pencil broke once, but Peach noticed right away and handed her another. Her pencil was the brightest shade of neon pink the world has ever seen, and it blinded poor Timpani. Glitter fell onto her paper, which made her pencil squeak when it ran over the leftover, girly sand substance. At the last period class, she was so happy to almost be out of that room. A tap on her shoulder brought her out of her daydreams, her blue eyes meeting the brown of her classmate beside her.

"You're Timpani, right?" he asked quietly, trying not to alert the teacher. Timpani nodded. "I'm Blumiere, but I'm sure you know that already. Listen, do you know Flipside well?" he asked.

"Yeah, I've lived here for as long as I can remember. Why?" Timpani asked, wondering why he would ask such a thing.

"I was wondering if you could show me around a little bit. I need to get a good feeling of this place." Blumiere explained.

Oh! That's right, he just moved here. That's what Timpani realized. She smiled and nodded.

"Of course. I'd be happy to." Timpani felt good about making a new friend. Wait; was this technically making a friend? Giving them a tour of the town? Tourists got tours, but didn't make friends with the guides. Timpani reminded herself not to make too many assumptions upfront.

'_He just wants a tour, nothing else. But this may be a step towards making a new friend, none the less!_' Timpani cheered in her head.

"Class dismissed." The teacher finally slammed her book shut and let the small class go. Blumiere stood up before Timpani, gathering his things. The voice of annoying Mimi filled the air as she addressed Blumiere.

"Hey, Blumi! We're all going to go to _The Underground Café._" Mimi said, the last part of her phrase sounding very skeptical to Timpani. Blumiere looked up.

"Who's 'we'?" Blumiere asked.

"Natasha, Chunk, Damien, and I." she lowered her voice. Blumiere took a moment, but his eyes widened.

"Uh, yeah, I'll join you later. Timpani told me that she was going to give me a tour of Flipside." Blumiere explained. Mimi's smile faded.

"Ohh…" Mimi looked saddened. "Okay, but just meet us there later. We won't be leaving for a little while!" Mimi said, rushing out the door.

"You giving the newbie a tour?" Lulu caught what Blumiere said as she looked at Timpani with a grin.

"Yes. Just don't call him a newbie. Be nice, Lulu." Timpani said, trying to make sure that her insults wouldn't make Blumiere feel uneasy. Lulu laughed.

"Yeah, sorry." Lulu said. "I'm heading to Saffron's place. When you're done with the tour, you can meet me there." Lulu said, patting Timpani on the back. "See ya!" the tomboyish green girl rushed out the door, followed by the others. Soon, Timpani and Blumiere were the only ones left. Timpani finished packing her things and they were out the door and back on Flipside's street.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

"Flipside is a large city with five floors, kind of like a tower." Timpani explained as she started the tour. "The bottom floor is three floors down from here, since we're on the second floor. The school's at the furthest left of the city, nearby the supermarket." Timpani brought him to where items were commonly bought. "If you go further this way, you'll see the Flipside Tower and the Creepy, Black House."

"The Creepy, Black House?" Blumiere asked, smirking. Now he was interested in that place, which surprised Timpani.

"Everyone stays away from that place for some reason. They say that there's something weird in there, but its actually just another house." Timpani explained. Blumiere nodded. He looked up into the yellow sky, seeing a small, black dot in the air.

"What IS that?" Blumiere asked, staring at it.

"That?" Timpani took a double take. She hadn't seen that there before. "I'm not sure…that wasn't there yesterday." Timpani muttered. Blumiere shrugged.

"Oh well, probably just a black star, right?" Blumiere asked. Timpani wasn't sure what to make of that strange object in the sky. She simply ignored it for the rest of the tour as she took Blumiere down one floor to where Saffron's was.

Saffron's was a restaurant run by the lovely Saffron, a good friend of Timpani.

"She makes the best dishes. You should go there to lunch sometime." Timpani told him, smiling. "She's really nice too, and plus she takes suggestions of new things that she has never made before! If there's something you like that's not on the menu, you can tell her, and she'll make it for you anyway! But you have to tell her what's in it, otherwise it'll turn out to be a Cooking Mistake." Timpani explained, not wanting to remember the time that Lulu accidentally made Saffron cook such a thing. Blumiere laughed.

"That sounds cool. Hey, where's the Underground Café? I'm supposed to meet my friends there right about now." Blumiere explained, knowing that she would know.

"Um, it's one floor down." Timpani said, pointing toward the elevator that went one floor down. Blumiere smiled.

"Thanks so much!" He exclaimed. "Listen, I'll be sure to pay you back sometime." He shook her head violently, almost making Timpani trip.

"Uh, yeah, sure. Thanks." Timpani blushed at his thanks.

"See you at school tomorrow!" he waved as he ran to the elevator. Timpani smiled as she headed toward Saffron's.

"Wow, I made a new friend!"

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

"Oh, powerful Dark Prognosticus, when shall the void swallow these pathetic worlds, Bleck questioned?"

Darkness was all that was in this strange realm, dwelling in very area. White pillars were all around the room, towering high through the darkness. Five pillars were the tallest of all, where figures were standing upon them. On the highest, a figure dressed in a white cape stood tall. In his right hand was a cane; while in his left was an open book. The book closed by itself and floated over toward his left side, brimming with an aura of darkness. There was a monocle over his right eye, and he wore a white top hat over his head. Nearby on the second tallest pillar, another female figure stood nearby.

"We're making all the progress we can, Count." She reported, scribbling something on her clipboard. "We've just confirmed the location of the first Pure Heart, after all." She explained, adjusting her glasses. Her skin was a deep blue, and her pink-purple hair was tied into a bun. "I'm taking attendance. O'Chunks, are you present?" she asked, looking at the three other pillars parallel to the taller ones that she and the Count were on.

A large, brawny figure made himself present. He raised an arm into the air, making himself visible to the secretary. "Always here ta serve the Count, lassie!" he exclaimed. The woman checked him off on her clipboard.

"Mimi, are you present?" she questioned. The small, green girl nearby made herself known. She may have been smaller than O'Chunks was, but she had a devilish smirk on her face. She had green skin with long, green pigtails.

"Here! Tee hee, this will be such a fun mission! To wipe out the entire universe of all dimensions…I will have all of the money I desire!" she exclaimed, smirking. The woman checked her off, speaking up again.

"Lastly, is Dimentio present?" she asked.

"Ah, dear Nastasia, I am always here like a bear is to a beehive." Came the joyful, yet twisted voice of Dimentio. The jester was floating in midair above his respective pillar, examining his own hands before looking up at the secretary. He wore a black and white mask over his face, but his shockingly yellow eyes were visible through the mask, as well as his mouth.

"Good, we're all here, Count." Nastasia said, turning back the Count on the highest pillar. All three minions turned their attention to the figure there, all smiling at his presence.

"All hail Count Bleck!" they all mused, bowing to him. Count Bleck smirked himself, seeing that he had the full attention of his minions.

"It is time for the void to grow, and we must make sure that the legacy of the Dark Prognosticus is fulfilled!" Bleck exclaimed.

"Yeah, um, Count?" Nastasia spoke up. "I'd kind of like to know if you felt the Pure Heart anywhere…we need those destroyed ASAP."

"Yes, Bleck knows." Bleck said. "There was an aura upon the second floor of Flipside, so it would be of great pleasure if someone could go examine that." Bleck told his minions, soon receiving numberous requests to go from all three of them.

"Pick me, Count! I'll do a super job!" Mimi exclaimed, stars in her eyes.

"No! 'Tis best ta pick me, Count! I'll punch th' crap outta anyone who wants ta stop me!" O'Chunks yelled, trying to make his point. Dimentio had the subtlest request.

"You do not need to pick me yet, although I'm itching for some work." Dimentio said, smirking from underneath his mask. Bleck looked at all of his minions, finally settling on O'Chunks.

"O'Chunks, you may go. Bleck is putting faith in you to find the Pure Heart." Bleck said, giving the Scottish minion a serious glance. O'Chunks saluted to the count.

"I won't let ye down, Count!" O' Chunks said as he leaped off the pillar and into the darkness below. Mimi was outraged.

"Why HIM?" Mimi asked.

"There's no reason to question the Count's decisions, Mimi, 'K?" Nastasia asked, glaring at the green girl. Mimi let out a groan, disappearing in a poof from the room. Dimentio chuckled before disappearing himself, going off to do who-knows-what.

"I should probably keep tabs on O'Chunks, just because I don't have the utmost faith in him." Nastasia told Bleck, adjusting her glasses once more. Bleck nodded.

"Do so, Nastasia." He said as she disappeared. He chuckled, taking the book in his hand once again. The Dark Prognosticus.

"The power of the Light Prognosticus shall never work once the eight Pure Hearts are destroyed. Bleck knows that once we destroy all eight of them, the Four Heroes can never awaken and stop us! BLEH HEH HEH! BLECK!"

**// . r a i n b o w .//**

Timpani had finished her small break with Lulu at Saffron's, and was now taking the elevator up to the second floor where her home was. Walking onto the pavement, she wandered past the Flipside Tower and almost to the inn. Young Timpani was suddenly stopped by something in the street. Or rather, someone.

An unconscious man was out cold in the middle of the street, and no one seemed to notice. She rushed over to him, kneeling over his body.

"Sir, are you alright?" Timpani asked, noticing that he was in pretty bad shape. He wore a dark, blue robe with green star patterns all over it. His mustache was a cream white color, and it was very large. His face was not visible from underneath the hood of his cloak, but she could see two closed eyes from the shadow that his hood cast. She shook his body, suddenly realizing she had a mushroom in her bag. She quickly took it out and forced it into the man's mouth, trying to give him some energy. With a start, his eyes snapped open.

"Whoa!" he yelled. He sounded younger than he looked, that's for sure. Timpani was surprised at his sudden awakening and jumped back. It took him a moment to realize what was going on. Before Timpani could ask what was wrong with him, a large, orange blur suddenly knocked her back. Her glasses fell off and shattered on the street.

"I can't see!" Timpani yelled. She was near-sighted, which was a really bad thing to be at this moment. The man rushed in front of the girl before the orange blur came back. It was a larger figure, but still very blurry to poor Timpani.

"You're going to be all right, miss. I thank you for coming to my aid." He said, his voice sounding very wise to her. "However, it is dangerous here." The man deflected against something that tried to harm him, according to Timpani's ears. "You must take this!" the man tossed Timpani a rod. She barely caught it when a flashing light emitted from the rod as it fell into her hand. Words echoed in her head before the light swallowed her completely.

"Who th' hell is this lass?!"

"Watch, you brutish member of darkness! This will be the girl who saves our world from the Void!"

The light surrounded Timpani's body, it being warm and comforting to the girl who was slightly freaked out. The light suddenly dimmed and turned to a sphere of light, changing Timpani's uniform into something completely different. Beams came out of the rod, surrounding her arms first. Her bare arms became wrist-length gloves that were a cream-white color. Ribbons flowed out of the gloves, each being a different color on each side. One ribbon for every color of the rainbow. The light got to her legs next, creating boots that replaced her mismatched socks and shoes. Soon, the light got to her uniform and it was morphed into a white top and a tye-dye skirt that reached her knees. Her brunette hair was suddenly bleached to a honey blonde, and her bangs stuck up to resemble the antennae of a butterfly. As if it weren't enough, wings appeared on the back of Timpani's back that seemed to be pixilated. The light cleared, revealing the new Timpani. She could see clearly for some reason, although she had lost her glasses.

"What's going on?!" Timpani asked, looking at her new attire. "What the hell is going on?" she asked, realizing that something weird was going on.

"That's what I wanna know!" the orange blur yelled, rushing at the girl. "Anyone who DARES ta defy the Count will die!" This orange blur was a large figure of a human-like brute with an orange beard and the strangest attire.

"Tippi, you have to distract him!" the man shouted.

"What? Tippi? Who's Tippi?" Timpani asked, suddenly realizing that the orange blur was about to crash into her. She screamed and ran out of the way.

"**You're** Tippi! You have to use that rod I gave you! Take it and shout 'Rainbow Revolution'!" the man explained. Timpani was so confused, but she had no choice but to listen to this strange man's advice. She took her rod and pointed it at the strange man.

"I have no clue of who you are, but…RAINBOW REVOLUTION!" she flipped the rod into the air like a baton and a bright, flashing orb was shot out of the rod.

"W-what th' hell?!" the orange blur was shot back by the light, slammed into a nearby wall. He was weakened by the attack and struggling to get back.

"O'Chunks is not easily defeated, ya lass!" the orange blur yelled, glaring at Tippi. Tippi turned to the man.

"Do it again! Do it until he surrenders!" the man commanded as he noticed that O'Chunks was trying to strike her again. Tippi took in a deep breath, wondering why she was even doing this. Was this some screwed up dream? She pointed her rod at him again.

"RAINBOW REVOLUTION!" the light was stronger this time, blasting O'Chunks back again. O'Chunks let out a yell as he smashed into the wall again, creating a bigger dent in the bricks than he did before. He gasped, looking up at the strange heroine.

"W-who are ya?" he asked in surprise. Tippi looked to the man for advice. What was she supposed to say?

"She is Rainbow Tippi, the guardian of the Pure Hearts!" the man exclaimed, smiling from underneath his hood. O'Chunks glared at the heroine once again.

"Yer gonna pay, Tippi! The Count'll hear about this!" O'Chunks suddenly disappeared after his threat, leaving behind the mess he made. Tippi turned to the man.

"Who are you? What happened to me?" Tippi demanded, glaring at him. The man chuckled.

"My fault entirely, miss." The man apologized. "I am Merlon, a fortune teller who lives in the Creepy, Black House as you kids dubbed it." He introduced.

"Oh, so you're the one who lives there!" Tippi said, pointing at him. '_Well, mystery solved._'

"You happen to be a chosen warrior that will help save this dimension and all other dimensions around. A knight that will protect the things that we need protected from those villains." Merlon explained.

"From…what exactly?" Tippi asked.

"Come to my home, Timpani. I shall explain things further once we arrive." Merlon said, leading the heroine to his house.

_And so the legend unfolds…_

**Next Time…**

_My name is Timpani, and according to this weird magician Merlon, I'm supposed to follow the legend of the Light Prognosticus and find eight Pure Hearts! Plus, I've been transformed into this super heroine named Tippi! Whoa, isn't that weird? Plus, I'm beginning to spend more time with Blumiere, who seems to be pretty nice. But he keeps a lot of things to himself, sadly. Also, what's up with that kid Mute? Merlon's been keeping an eye on him…_

Coming soon!

Episode Two: Silent, But Deadly! Mute Is a Hero!


	2. Episode Two

**(Author's Notes: I'm so glad that people like this story! I've got kind of a busy week, and I'll try to write as much as I can, but no promises until the weekend! I was glad I got to finish this tonight. I hope you enjoy! I do not own Super Paper Mario.)**

**F L I P . / . F L O P**

"So, you failed. Bleck is disappointed in you."

"It wasn't me fault! This lass of light er whatever came to stop me before I kicked that sorry lad's ass!"

"The excuse is not valid enough. I failed to get there in time to witness it, Count."

"Hrmm…"

"Lemme at 'er again! I'll give 'er a taste of OOOO'CHUNKS!"

"Maybe later, Bleck hissed. Nastasia, give him a proper punishment."

"Of course, Count."

**Episode Two: Silent, but Deadly! Mute Is A Hero!**

The night's cool air swept over Flipside as the yellow sky turned to a dark brown. Down the pavement streets, the transformed Timpani was battling her brain in what was going to happen to her. Within the last hour, she was giving Blumiere an innocent tour of the city, and she witnessed a strange attack of an innocent man. Within that time, she transformed into some kind of fairy, or that's how she dubbed herself. The attire seemed very fairy-like, with its tye-dye skirt and ribbon gloves. She even had a rod that looked like a fairy wand. She still had it, and she knew that it would not be smart to let it go at this time. Even her brown locks had changed color to a bright blonde, which confused her more.

This transformation made her into a completely different being.

But where was she going now? Merlon was taking her to his house on the second floor of Flipside. Although it was not far from where they were before, it seemed like a long walk. The silence was killing Timpani from the inside, making her curiosity get the best of her. Merlon kept taking glances back at her, making sure that she was all right. As they finally got to the near left of the Flipside Tower, they arrived at the Creepy, Black House. Merlon opened the door for Timpani, allowing her in.

"Ladies first." He said with a polite tone to his wise voice, chuckling as Timpani glared at him and she went in. The interior of the house certainly matched outside, that's for sure. It seemed like a one-room house with a small staircase in the back that led upstairs. This one room had indigo walls, covered in different colored stars and moons. Dust seemed to build many hotels in this house, because it was populated with it. Dust covered the old bookshelves, the table in the center of the one room, and even Merlon himself had his own share of dusty robes on a nearby rack. The table in the center held two objects; a crystal ball and a large, white book. The crystal ball had a large amount of mist swirling around as Timpani examined it, but her eyes soon fell onto the book.

This book brimmed a divine aura, one that felt like all of the most powerful healing forces in the world. The origin of all good things…or that's what it felt like to Timpani as she stared at it. Merlon smiled as he noticed her looking at it.

"That is the Light Prognosticus." Merlon said, walking over toward the girl and the book. "The book that can counter the Dark Prognosticus."

Timpani was very impatient at this point. All of these things he was telling her, they didn't make sense. She was ready to use her newfound power to knock _him_ into a wall.

"Tell me why I'm like this." Timpani demanded. "Tell me why I had to use that light power to defeat that weird man! Tell me everything!" Timpani yelled, glaring at Merlon.

"Do you not trust me, dear Timpani? Firstly, let's get you out of that outfit. Raise your rod into the air and twirl it two times. You should revert back to your normal appearance." Merlon explained to her, sitting down in a nearby armchair. The armchair was a deep blue color, almost indigo. Dust flew up into the air as he sat down upon it, which made Timpani cough. After her voice was clear of dust, she gripped her rod. She had to trust this guy, for he was right the first time. She raised the rod into the air and twirled it between her gloved fingers, dust falling onto her head.

The blonde color in her hair faded, becoming the brunette shade it was before. Her clothes transformed back into her school uniform, her gloves turned back into her pale hands, and her boots became the mismatched socks and shoes they were before. It was as if nothing had happened to her. Except the fact that she had a pair of broken glasses on her face. She groaned.

"I can't see a damn thing…" she muttered, saddened that her glasses broke from this event. Merlon swiped the glasses off her face, placing them in his hand. He whispered something under his breath, something that was barely audible from Timpani's ears. But whatever he said, she could hear the cracks on the glasses sealing together. They were fixed.

"There you are, Timpani." He said, handing the glasses back to her. She put them on.

Good as new.

"Thanks." Timpani said, relieved that she could see again. She turned to Merlon, ready to quiz him again of his motives. The sharp glare of her blue eyes seemed to remind the wizard of why he brought her here.

"Ah yes, I need to tell you so much." Merlon began. "Come, sit down in that chair over there." Merlon directed Timpani to a violet armchair that was nearby. She sat, coughing at another wave of dust covering her sight for a mere second.

"Timpani, explaining why you were chosen for this would take far too long. But I can tell you that by destiny, you were chosen to save the universe. That is the simpliest way I can say it." Merlon started his explanation.

"The **universe**?" Timpani was in disbelief. Merlon sighed.

'_I knew she wouldn't believe me._' Merlon thought, turning to his window. There was only one way to prove that it wasn't a lie. Merlon motioned for her to look out the window and to the night sky. Timpani caught the thing he was pointing at right away.

"That Black Star?" Timpani asked, remembering that she first saw that when she gave Blumiere the tour. Merlon nodded.

"That is no star, Timpani. That is a rip in the dimensional fabric of space. In short, it's called the Void. To put it in terms you will understand, that Void will destroy this dimension and every other dimension. It may look small now, but in time, it will grow larger. With every day, it grows with the energy of darkness produced by Count Bleck and his Dark Prognosticus." Merlon explained.

"No way…" Timpani stared in disbelief at the Void. The horror entered her mind. The fact that this small, black dot could eventually destroy everything…it made her heart sink. This Void would be the end of everything. _Everything._

"Do not be frightened so easily. There is still hope." Merlon said, smiling. "You are that hope, dear Timpani. Or should I say…Rainbow Tippi?" Merlon said, chuckling.

"What can I do to stop something like that? If it destroys everything like you say it does, I'm useless against it. It's like a black hole, right?" Timpani asked. She hated black holes. She hated talking about them, and hated witnessing what it does. Black holes sucked in _light_ after all.

"You might not be able to stop it with your strength alone, but it is your job to gather the people who can." Merlon explained. "According to the Light Prognosticus," Merlon touched the white book on the table, "only one maiden of light shall gather the four heroes who can stop the Dark Prognosticus and the one who controls it. Also, it is your duty to help these four heroes to find the eight Pure Hearts." Merlon explained.

"Four heroes? Eight pure hearts? This sounds like something out of an anime show…" Timpani muttered, smiling at this.

"But no matter how fake it may seem, that Void proves that it is true." Merlon became serious again. "The four heroes must be awakened, and it's up to you to find them before Bleck does!" Merlon yelled.

"Who is Bleck?" Timpani asked, disgusted by the sound of the name. '_I mean, Bleck? What kind of a name is that?_' Merlon sighed.

"Count Bleck is the one who holds the Dark Prognosticus. He is the one who controls the book of darkness and is the major force that stands against us. If you do not find the four heroes, he will find them and kill them. If you do not find the eight Pure Hearts, he will destroy them. Those two groups are the key elements that we need to defeat the Void that will swallow every dimension!" Merlon found himself yelling at the poor girl. It was lucky that Timpani wasn't a crybaby.

"I see…" Timpani thought about it. '_So, I've got to find the heroes and the Pure Hearts…_' she thought, her eyes narrowing. "What does a Pure Heart look like?" she asked. She felt stupid for asking that, but it made Merlon smile, so maybe it wasn't a bad thing to ask. Without any words, Merlon turned to his shelf. Without movement, the shelf shoved to the side, revealing a bright, red light that came from within. A large, heart-shaped object floated out towards Timpani and Merlon, almost blinding poor Timpani. It was red, and shone with the most beautiful light that was ever seen.

"**This** is a Pure Heart. I was lucky enough to find one in my travels of this city." Merlon explained, allowing the heart to enter his hands. "Isn't it beautiful, Timpani? This is only one of eight that will save the world!"

Timpani was in awe. Her blue eyes were sparkling with astonishment as she stared at the Pure Heart. "Wow…" was all she found herself saying. Merlon allowed Timpani to touch the Pure Heart, allowing her slender fingers to glide across the surface of the sacred relic. It felt like some sort of gel, but it did not feel so slimy. It was like a pure, liquid heart that was able to maintain a solid form. It made her smile.

"You must keep that with you. Hide it in your rod, where no other person besides you can get it." Merlon instructed, taking the Heart back from Timpani so that she could reach her rod. "Hold your rod up to the Heart and yell 'Seal this Pure Heart so that no impure hands may touch'!"

Timpani did as she was told. She raised her rod to the heart and chanted.

"SEAL THIS PURE HEART SO THAT NO IMPURE HANDS MAY TOUCH!"

Timpani yelled, the red light of the heart being slowly sucked away into her rod. The essence, the aura, it all was swept away into that thin rod. Even the heart disappeared in a matter of seconds, fading into the glass rod's bottom. At the bottom of her rod, a smaller version of the heart appeared. It no longer glowed, but it symbolized that it was within her keep.

"Well done." Merlon said, clapping his hands together. "Keep that rod with you at all times. Oh, and take these things too." Merlon dug his hands into his cloak, taking out two key chains that seemed like they could be clipped onto the rod. One was shaped like a pink heart, while the other was shaped like a golden star.

"What are these for?" Timpani asked.

"When the power of a hero is found, that keychain will glow." Merlon pointed to the star keychain. "And when it senses the power of a Pure Heart, that other keychain will glow." Merlon pointed to the heart keychain. Timpani nodded.

"So, these are to help me find the heroes and the hearts?" Timpani asked. That was a huge relief. At least she wouldn't have to do it herself. Merlon nodded at that, smiling.

"You will make a fine heroine, Timpani. Take some time to practice your skills every so often, and be sure to keep your eyes open. The heroes shall be here sooner than you think." Merlon said, standing up. Timpani smiled.

"Thanks, Merlon." She stood up herself, gripping her rod with a little confidence. "Should I come see you tomorrow?" she was already on her way to the door. Merlon nodded.

"Yes, please do…oh!" Merlon stopped her before she left for good.

"Yeah?" Timpani asked.

"Bring a friend." Merlon said, smiling. Timpani gave him a strange look, but made that note in her head to bring someone else with her when she visited him tomorrow. She walked out the door, letting the wispy, night wind blow at her hair.

Tomorrow was going to be another long day, she could feel it.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

"…pani…?"

"…Timpani…?"

"TIMPANI!"

The yell of her best friend snapped her out of her daydream. Lulu's blue eyes were locked onto Timpani's blue eyes, starring with concern.

"Hey, are you feeling alright? You aren't acting active at all…" Lulu noted, leaning against a nearby pole.

It was the late morning, and the class 9-3 had their first P.E. class of the year. Every student was out of his or her school uniform and into their P.E. outfit, which consisted of shorts and a t-shirt. For some, this also meant sweatpants. It was rather chilly outside, despite the sunshine that was beaming down onto Flipside. Timpani looked up at Lulu, weakly smiling. She couldn't tell her friend about what happened last night. Lulu would _never _believe her. No one would, would they? She took glances at every classmate, wondering if any of these people would even believe her for a second if she told them about what happened last night.

"Huh? Oh…yeah. I'm doing alright." Timpani lied, maintaining her smile. Lulu's stare turned into a sharp glare.

"Right. You've been out of it all morning." Lulu could see right through her. Timpani sighed.

"Look, there's just been some weird things going on right now…" Timpani was interrupted by seeing someone behind Lulu.

"Like what?" Lulu asked, not seeing who was behind her.

"Lulu, Mute's behind you." Timpani said, smiling. Lulu jumped about five feet into the air, surprised that Mute would appear out of nowhere.

"W-w-what do you want, Mute?" Lulu asked, her eyes wide. Mute carried a notepad with him, a request from the teacher in order to communicate to everyone.

_The teacher says that we're making teams for baseball now. He also said that you two need to come over to the field with everyone else and stop gossiping. I don't think you two are gossiping, frankly, but…I really can't deny the teacher's requests at this point. _

Lulu laughed at his note. "Right, we'll be right over." She said through laughs, wiping a tear that dropped from her eye. Timpani giggled, but that's all. Mute didn't move, however.

"Let's go, Lulu." Timpani said, going over next to Mute. Lulu nodded, walking over to the field with the two.

Timpani was used to these students already, although it was only her second day to class. She could handle Mimi's screeching, Chunk's Scottish accent, Damien's sudden 'dramatic' moments in the class, and most of all, the one-sided arguments of Burly and Mute. Well, Mute didn't talk, but his glares said it all. However, the one person that she found herself having the most interest in was her neighbor, Blumiere. He seemed very nice, but he also seemed pretty distant. She only saw him talking to Natasha and possibly Mimi or Damien. He even talked to her a couple of times, but those were cut short. Maybe she'd have another moment with him.

"All right, fish bait." The teacher began to coach the students. "We're playing baseball, and I expect that you're all decent at least hitting a ball with a bat. If you aren't, you'll be getting a failing grade for this class. Any questions?" the teacher asked. Burly raised his muscular hand.

"Who's pitching?" Burly asked.

"Do you want to? You look more like a power hitter to me." The teacher answered.

"I think Mute should pitch." Peach spoke up, pointing to the silent boy. Mute shook his head, his face turning red with embarrassment.

"What?! Why him? Why do you always choose him?" Burly got mad, his eyes flaring.

"Is someone jealous?" Damien asked with a smirk. It was Burly's turn to be embarrassed. Natasha raised her hand next.

"Could I pick the teams?" she asked.

"Maybe next class, missy." The teacher said, turning to Mute. "You can be pitcher, short stuff. C'mon!" the teacher called him up. Mute silently sighed and wandered up to the pitcher's mound.

"You, green girl! You're catcher!" the teacher yelled to Lulu.

"All right!" Lulu cheered, running over towards the bench to get some catcher's gear. Mute took a glove and a ball, ready to practice pitching. He was pretty good for a kid his size to tell the truth, and it made Lulu take several glances at him while she was getting her uniform on. Wait…

Timpani shook that thought of her head.

"All right, team captains are Burly and Chunk. Choose your teammates wisely." The teacher said, stepping back. Burly went first.

"Blumiere, get your ass up here." Burly grunted.

"'Oy! I wanted Blumiere!" Chunk yelled.

"He got to pick first. Pick someone else." The teacher interjected. Chunk groaned.

"I'll take Damien." He muttered, the black-haired boy soon joining his side.

"Peach, you're on my team! You should feel so honored!" Burly said with a giddy grin. Peach's eyes widened.

"Um, okay…" that was the first time that Timpani ever Peach look a little disappointed. Timpani knew that in her gut that she was going to get picked last. Oh, she knew it. She was always picked last when it came to sports. She was more the brain than the brawn, so she knew it would be something that she would just have to ignore.

"Natasha! Yer on my team!" Chunk said with a smile. Natasha moved over to his side without a word. Burly glanced at the last two members of the class. Mimi and Timpani. He looked at Timpani, but those glasses really made him not consider her. In fact, that was what made him point to Mimi.

"Mimi, you're with me." Burly said, taking Mimi. Chunk turned to Timpani.

"Alrighty, lass. Yer on my team." Chunk said, allowing Timpani to go over to his side before splitting up into field and battling. Burly's team was first up at bat, Blumiere batting first. He did a few practice bats, actually making some moves that scared Mute. The red-capped boy kept his ground, however. Timpani was assigned to the outfield…the entire outfield. That was because the class was so small, thus there were only four people on the team. Timpani watched Blumiere practice, and she was lost in thought.

'_I wonder if he's a hero…_' Timpani thought, her eyes narrowing. '_That'd be weird. What if any of my classmates were heroes? Now that would be such a surprise. I should probably get out my rod soon and examine everybody here, since they could all be candidates. I wonder if that's what Merlon meant when I should bring a friend…_'

"**TIMPANI! LOOK OUT!**"

That yell of Peach snapped her out of her trance, but it was too late. The ball that Blumiere hit went far…far enough into the outfield and right where Timpani was standing. It slammed right into her left cheek and nose, knocking her down.

"OWWW!!" Timpani screamed, placing her hands on where she was hit. Her face burned as she ball rolled off onto the grass. '_Is my face bleeding? Dammit!_' she cursed in her head as a shadow loomed over her. It was Blumiere.

"Timpani, I'm so sorry!" he apologized, kneeling over her.

"She needs to go to the nurse's office." That second voice belonged to Lulu. "That's a pretty bad hit."

"It wasn't his fault entirely." Burly tried to back up Blumiere when it wasn't needed. "She was dazing out in the middle of the sunlight…"

"Stop it, Burly! She's hurt badly! Oh, Blumiere, you should go with her to the Nurse's office. That way we can even the teams out a bit." Peach suggested.

"Good idea." The teacher said as he realized what had happened. "Blumiere, go with her. And also…you!" the teacher looked over to Mute. "Go with them too. I'll play pitcher."

"Why him?" Lulu asked.

"Because he was the one who made the easy pitch! He's in this too!" the teacher made the point. Mute shrugged and ran over to Timpani and Blumiere.

"Guys, I'll be okay…" Timpani muttered. She was so happy that it didn't hit her glasses. She did not need those broken again.

"You need an ice pack, Timpani." Lulu snapped. Timpani got up, placing her hand on her cheek. It felt swollen. She must have looked like such a weirdo at this moment, but that wasn't her major concern.

"C'mon, let's go." Blumiere took her hand and dragged her towards the school building. Mute followed, waving goodbye to the class before going.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

The three students made their way into the empty hallway, where many other classes were in session. They made it to the nurse's office, where a woman was tending another student's wounds.

"Oh my! What happened here?" the nurse noticed the bruise on Timpani's face.

"She got hit in the face with a baseball." Blumiere explained. "Do you have an ice pack?" he asked. The nurse nodded.

"Yes, but it's in the back of my closet. It'll be a few moments before I can get it. Can you wait?" the nurse asked. Timpani nodded.

The three students sat down on a nearby bench, saying nothing to each other. Timpani finally broke the ice after a few minutes, hating the sound of an awkward silence. She glanced over to Blumiere, who was staring down at the floor. She looked over to Mute, who was looking ahead of him.

"Um, so…" Timpani was not sure of what to talk about, but she didn't want it to be completely silent. She wished for a moment to talk with Blumiere, and she now had it.

"Huh?" Blumiere asked, hearing her say something.

"Are you doing something after school?" she asked. Mute watched intently. Blumiere paused, thinking.

"Yeah, I am. Sorry." He apologized, his brown eyes flashing a strong sign of compassion toward the young teenage girl.

"No, it's fine!" Timpani apologized. The way she moved her jaw made a slight pain go through her jaw. "Owww…"

"Geez, I'm really sorry about hitting you so hard." Blumiere moved a little closer to examine the cheek that was hit, making Timpani back up into Mute.

'_Wha…? Why am I so nervous?_' Timpani thought, so surprised that he'd be so worried. "I-it doesn't hurt that much! It's just a little sting…that's all. No need to worry!" Timpani said with a nervous laugh, suddenly realizing that she was squashing Mute under her back. "Aah! I'm sorry, Mute!" she realized that the boy was right behind her. Mute smiled and shrug to show that it meant 'don't worry so much'.

"Oh, that's good…" Timpani exhaled with relief. She wondered where the nurse had gone, since it had been a little while. But hey, this was her time to spend with Blumiere and even to get to know Mute a little bit. She took glances at the two boys, seeing that they were looking at each other with a stare of intense gazing. What could be going through their minds?

"Hey, are you two all right?" Timpani asked, looking between them both. Blumiere snapped out of it, as did Mute a few seconds later.

"Um, yeah." Blumiere said, scratching the back of his head. Mute nodded to symbolize that he was fine. Timpani fell back into her chair, placing her hand on the swollen cheek once again. She groaned silently, wishing the nurse would get here with the ice pack. Dammit, she knew that Blumiere didn't mean it…but…her face hurt like hell. The pain was slowly fading into a numb feeling, which to her seemed a lot worse. She could barely feel the smoothness of her own skin; just the squishy substance of her flesh that had no real feeling to it. Before she lost herself in thought again, she felt a finger tap on her shoulder. It was Mute.

"What is it?" Timpani asked politely, shaking her head out of deep thought. Mute held up his notepad.

_You and Lulu are best friends, right? _

Timpani nodded at his note. "That's right. We've known each other since middle school. Why?" Timpani suddenly wondered why Mute would ask a sudden question like that. Mute wrote down something on his notepad.

_Just wondering. You two seem really close, after all. Peach and I are like that, but Burly's always wanted to join in on our fun. He's had this huge crush on Peach ever since he met her, but Peach has always drawn her attention to other guys. For some reason, Burly thinks that she likes me, which isn't true at all. That's why he's always trying to start an argument with me. I wish he'd stop, but he's way too stubborn and childish. _

Timpani laughed at the paragraph, which made Blumiere curious. He looked over onto the pad and smiled.

"So that's why? Jealousy?" Blumiere asked. Mute nodded, smiling himself.

"That's so sweet." Timpani said, trying to smoothen her wide grin. She really didn't want to break out into hysterics when her face had almost no feeling to it. "How long have you all known each other?" Timpani asked, wondering how long Burly had been trying to pursue her.

Mute began to write another long paragraph. Or, at least, it seemed longer since he wrote it on paper. Timpani wondered how he could write so fast with such neat handwriting.

_Since elementary. I think we met in third grade, and let me say that Burly has never changed since those days. Always trying to make friends with Peach, always putting me down for it, and so on. I wondered if he would ever shut up about trying to "take Peach away from me", but all of his attempts have failed due to the fact that she's completely oblivious to the way he feels. Knowing Peach, as soon as she figures it out, she'll be all over him. _

Timpani's eyes widened. Peach did seem like a compassionate person, but Timpani did not assume that she was naïve. This was a surprise to her, but when she looked over to Blumiere, she realized that it was only natural that there were flaws to such a kind person. His look was in complete agreement with the red-capped pitcher, yet there seemed to be an element of sadness as Mute kept talking about Burly's feelings for Peach. She wondered if it was safe to ignore it or to ask about it, but that time soon passed at the sound of a scream from the nearby room.

"What's going on?" Timpani asked, glancing up to see something unnatural.

A giant, green monster was in the room, ten, lanky legs grown out of its torso. It looked like a spider, only about 400 times bigger and 450 times nastier. Its torso seemed to be shaped like a cube, all chunky and deformed like a crumpled-up piece of paper. The legs seemed to have little hairs growing out of them, also covered in slime and some other liquids that Timpani dared not to identify. A long mouth was located at the bottom of its torso, which was strange for any organism. Wouldn't a mouth be on the face? This monster didn't appear to have one.

"**MIMIMIMIMIMIMI!**" the monster growled, its voice screeching the air. It made all three students clamp their hands over their ears. The monster took notice of the two boys and Timpani, its disgusting mouth curling into a smile.

"**Nastasia told me I could eat something before getting the Pure Heart…oh you look so delicious!**" the monster hissed, moving its legs toward Timpani. She shook in her place, her eyes beneath her glasses as wide as they could be. "**Such a pure and fine young girl, almost as beautiful as I am!**" she cackled as she shot one leg toward Timpani's neck.

"Timpani!" Blumiere tossed a nearby first aid kit at the monster, damaging it in its side. It let out another screech, which meant that Blumiere made a direct hit. "Get out of there!" he yelled, glaring at the monster. Timpani scrambled to her feet, running to Blumiere.

"Run, Timpani!" Blumiere yelled, trying to get her out of the Nurse's office.

"No!" Timpani knew that she had to be the one to defeat this monster when she heard it mention the Pure Heart. "Blumiere, you have to run! I have to find Mute! Find help and make sure everyone gets out of the building!" Timpani told him, gripping his arms and looking straight into his face with determination. Blumiere's eyes narrowed, but he knew that he lost this argument.

"All right." He muttered, letting go of her and rushing out of the Nurse's office. Timpani rushed to a nearby closet, slamming the door.

'_If Mute sees me turn into Rainbow Tippi, there might be trouble. I'll save you, Mute!_' she took out her rod and raised it into the air. The light engulfed her body and Timpani transformed into Tippi. Her brown hair was dyed into the blonde shade that it was before, and her rod was sparkling with the divine light that created her new outfit.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

"**Where did that little brat go? I need something sweet to eat…**" the monster growled as it looked around the office. As it kept crawling around the office, it was suddenly struck by another first aid kit that flew into its torso. It let out another screech, turning to see the silent student who had thrown it.

"**Why you little…!**" the monster rushed at Mute, trying to hit him with one of its long legs. It made the first hit, slamming him against the wall. His mouth opened as if to scream, but nothing came out. The monster laughed coldly, a red gem suddenly appearing from inside its mouth. It had a sharp end, like a knife that was going to pierce through his fragile body.

"RAINBOW REVOLUTION!"

The battle cry of Tippi sounded in the office, the blinding light heading in the direction of the monster. As it turned around, it let out the loudest screech yet at the light's impact. Tippi appeared before Mute and in front of the weakened monster.

"Are you all right, Mute?" she asked, making sure he was okay. Mute slowly nodded, getting off from the wall. He gave Tippi a look of confusion. His face clearly asked, 'who are you?' and 'what did you do to that thing?'.

"**Grrr! You're that "light lass" that O'Chunks was talking about! Dammit, you won't knock me down like you did to him!**" the monster seemed to have a feminine tone to its voice, so Tippi assumed the monster was female. The monster prepared to attack once again with the sharp, ruby red gem in its mouth, but as she fired it at the two students, they were quick enough to dodge it before it collided with the wall behind.

"Mute, you have to escape! I can take care of this thing!" Tippi told him, trying to get him out of the office. To her surprise, Mute shook his head violently. He made a victory pose, clearly telling her that he wasn't going to let her fight against this thing alone. Tippi was shocked. What could he do? Why was he standing to help her?

"Why?" Tippi asked. Mute quickly wrote on his notepad.

_It's the strangest feeling. I __**know**__ I can help you defeat this monster! Please, just let me help! _

Tippi had no option, for she had no time to argue. The keychain on her rod began to glow the moment she read that note entirely, the star keychain.

"No way…!" Tipp saw that the keychain reacted to Mute's note of courage, seeing that he had the potential to be a hero that would help be rid of the Void! A red light emitted from the keychain, creating the shape of a cap. A red cap appeared before Mute, shimmering with the same red light. A large M was in the center behind a white circle in the front of the cap, and the rest was all fire engine red.

"**Damn you stupid kids! I will devour you alive!**" the monster screeched, rushing toward the two quickly. In the fastest Tippi had ever seen, Mute grabbed the cap and there was another bright flash of light.

Red light engulfed the boy, soon dressing him in something completely different. His school uniform was replaced with red t-shirt under a pair of slightly dirty, blue overalls. White gloves covered his previously unclothed hands, and brown shoes were now on his feet. His red cap was no longer plain, for it had the same M emblem that was on the previous cap that he had put on to trigger the transformation. As the light cleared, Mute was visible to Tippi. He smiled and gave Tippi a thumb's up, grinning. The appearance of Mute's new form seemed to upset the monster.

"**It can't be! No matter, you shall be dead soon!**" the monster roared as she made her way to destroying the two. Mute thrust out his hands, a flash of red light erupting from his gloves and firing at the monster. Suddenly, she was trapped in a red barrier where she could not move. With a snap of his fingers, the barrier twirled around at light speed and made her dizzy.

"**Mimimimimi…**" she hissed in her dizzy state. Mute turned to Tippi and pointed to her, a sign for her to finish her off! Tippi flipped her rod in the air, finally pointing it at the monster.

"RAINBOW REVOLUTION!" she yelled, the light finally bringing the monster to its weakest state. In the blinding light, the monster disappeared. There was no sign of her being there, or of the barrier that Mute created to stop her.

"Did we defeat her?" Tippi asked. Mute shrugged.

"Ah, you hopeful heroes of great power! You have almost vanquished the monster in this fateful hour!" came the voice of a woman from behind the two students. They turned around to see the Nurse who was supposed to help them. She had curly, orange hair and a red uniform. Very unusual for a nurse was what both students were thinking.

"What do you mean?" Tippi asked.

"Magical Tippi, powerful lass! You knocked the monster down on her ass! But, much to your dislike, this monster was able to take a hike! She escaped from this room, sweeping her remains out of here like an ultra-sonic broom!" the woman explained. Tippi was shocked.  
"So, she's not dead?" Tippi asked, her eyes wide.

"It will take much more to defeat her, sadly. But, this is not a time to be sad, gladly! Here stands someone you have been searching for, one of the heroes four!" the woman exclaiming, motioning to Mute. Tippi's frown turned into a smile.  
"Mute! You're a hero too?" she asked, her bright smile making Mute smile too. "This is so great! Now I don't have to hide my identity from you!" Tippi exclaimed. Mute suddenly looked confused. Tippi blinked a few times before she realized why he was confused. She suddenly held up her rod and twirled it two times, returning to her student form. Mute's eyes widened, and he suddenly understood.

"Dearest Timpani, Merlon wishes for you to bring Mute to him. It is today's most needed whim. Also, saviors of our dimension, I shall give you something that shall give our existence an extension!" the woman took something out of her robe, shimmering with the bright orange light that seemed all too familiar to Timpani.

"A Pure Heart!" Timpani exclaimed with a smile. "Who are you?" Timpani asked the woman, surprised she knew this much about what they were doing. The woman smiled.

"A fortune teller that knows all from the heavens to the bottom of the sea! I am the lovely friend of Merlon, Merlee!" the woman introduced, handing Timpani the Pure Heart. Timpani took out her rod, prepared to put the heart away into the safe keep of her wand.

"SEAL THIS PURE HEART SO THAT NO IMPURE HANDS MAY TOUCH!"

The orange Pure Heart faded into her wand, revealing that the red heart was no longer along in her tall rod. Two, happy hearts were now in her rod, safe and sound.

"We must return to my friend, this moment at school shall now end!" Merlee told the two as she led them to the Nurse's door. Mute took off his cap, which deactivated his transformation. He returned to his uniform as if nothing was wrong. He smiled at Timpani, saying in his facial expression that he was glad to aid her in that battle. Timpani nodded.

She was far more than happy to have someone to help her.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

As the two students arrived outside the school, Timpani was almost run over by two worried students. Lulu and Blumiere nearly ran her over, making her fall onto the last stair that she just walked down from.  
"What happened? Blumiere said that there was a nasty monster in there!" Lulu screamed at Timpani, hugging her friend in a death glomp. Timpani struggled to get free.

"I'm fine, Lulu! This girl came and saved us both from the monster!" Timpani said, trying to wiggle free from her friend's grip. Lulu let go quickly.

"A girl?" Lulu asked. Timpani nodded.

"She said her name was Rainbow Tippi, and she said that she was going to protect us in a time of darkness." Timpani said, smiling. Lulu was in awe.

"Oh, really? We have a super heroine saving us! This rocks! I want to see her!" Lulu exclaimed, soon turning to Mute. "And what about you? Are you all right?" Lulu asked with worry. Mute nodded, giving the worried girl a thumb's up.

"Timpani!" Blumiere noticed something right away. Timpani was caught by surprise at the sound of his voice. "Your bruise is gone!" he exclaimed. Timpani touched the side of her face that previously bruised with the baseball. It was no longer swollen or numb.

"Wow…that ice pack did wonders." Timpani found herself coming up with the worst excuse ever. Mute wrote something down on his notepad, giving it to Timpani quickly.

_Where's Merlon's place? _

Timpani's eyes widened. "Oh, I just remembered! I have to go!" Timpani pushed Mute towards the exit of the school courtyard and away from the worried classmates. "I'll see you tomorrow!" she waved to Lulu and Blumiere, dragging Mute back to Merlon's house.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

"So, you failed too? Bleck is VERY disappointed." Muttered the cold voice of Count Bleck. The sound of a sob echoed through the darkness. The green-skinned Mimi had a large bump on her head.

"It wasn't my fault, Count! That meanie Tippi came and tried to stop me! And to make matters worse, she awakened the first Hero!" Mimi yelled, glaring at the Count. Nastasia glared back.

"Arguing against the Count has some serious offense, Mimi. I don't wanna throw you off the team, 'K?" Nastasia asked, adjusting her glasses to hide her sharp eyes that were glaring into the spoiled villain's soul. Mimi turned her glare back onto the Count.

"B-but…he…" Mimi was about to state something, but was interrupted by the hand of a certain jester falling over her loud mouth.

"Be silent, Mimi." Dimentio calmed her. He floated over towards Count Bleck and Nastasia, smiling his devious smile. "Oh, Count Bleck, I have a request that can help us find the third Pure Heart. For this, I will need Nastasia's help." Dimentio turned to the secretary.

"Do tell, Bleck is curious." Bleck smirked at Dimentio's grin. Nastasia only felt chills go up her spine.

_Whatever was going to happen, it wouldn't be good for her._

**Next Time…**

_Hooray! We've found our first hero! Mute a.k.a. Mario is one of the four Heroes that will vanquish the Void! Now to find the other three! Hey, what's up with Burly? He's been acting a little more…bold than usual. Burly's flirting with Peach a little more openly, but the weird thing is that he's been hanging out with Damien and Natasha a little more than usual. Gee, I wonder what's going on…_

Coming soon!

Episode Three: The Legacy of the Chaos Heart! Peach and Burly Join the Battle


	3. Episode Three

**(Author's Notes: Yay, I was able to get this one done. This one took me a while because of many things, but here it is! Since the weekend is coming up, I'm sure that I'll be able to get another chapter out of me soon! Enjoy this one!) **

**F L I P . / . F L O P**

"You've been staring at the wall for hours."

"What…?"

"Why did you protect _her_? She's a _human_."

"Don't sound so disgusted."

"Do you love her? Do you love her like you loved that _woman_ you did long ago?"

"…I don't want to talk about her."

"I'll take that as a yes."

"I do not know yet…"

**Episode Three: Legacy of the Chaos Heart! Peach and Burly Join the Fight**

The mid-morning sun rose upon Flipside, reflecting through the windows of nearby buildings and giving birth to the beautiful element known as day. The small dot in the sky known as the Void was sitting in the brown-yellow sky, a small wind gust pulling past the abyss. People did not walk the streets this early on a weekend morning, especially since it was a Saturday. They would rather be asleep in their comfy beds, snuggling against the plush surface of their blankets and pillows.

That was what Mute planned on doing this morning.

The silent teenager was deep underneath his covers, his eyes shut from the world. Everything was still in his room, which like him was themed with the color of red. Dreams were flowing in and out of his head, memories scattering about the edge of his mind. He was remembering the battle where he faced the strange and large green monster. The same battle where he was transformed into an action hero that would save all dimensions from the Void and the Dark Prognosticus. The most recent and strange memory of his was going through right now, the moment that Timpani took him to see Merlon.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

Yesterday night, the yellow sky was dulled with the brown shade that appeared when the sun fell beneath the Void and the very air itself. The mistress Merlee was taking them away from the school building and to the Black, Creepy House where Merlon lived. Mute didn't want to admit that he was afraid of his house like the other kids (well, he really couldn't _admit _it verbally), but there was something about it that made him shake.

"Here you two go. Mute, Merlon shall have a lot to show." Merlee said, smiling at Mute. Timpani went into the doorway first, keeping it open for Mute to go in after her. The dusty house of Merlon made Mute forget his thoughts of being scared. It just seemed like a normal, one-room house. Although it seemed strange for it to only have one table and two armchairs nearby, it seemed to be a cozy little place. Mute silently sighed with relief.

"So you've found the second Hero, Tippi? Impressive." Merlon stepped down from the staircase in the back, spotting Merlee soon after he saw the two teenagers. "And where have you been, Merlee?"

"'Tis a strange curse. I was posing as their school nurse!" Merlee explained to Merlon, who smiled at her rhyming sentence.

"Of course. I knew you would be concerned for our little Tippi here." Merlon walked over to Timpani, who blushed with embarrassment.

"Aw, gee…" Timpani scratched the back of her head, looking down to the floor. Merlee laughed.

"Now, what is your name?" Merlon asked, looking over to Mute. There came no reply from Mute, who did not have his notepad with him for he had dropped it in the battle with that monster. "Ah, are you shy?" Merlon asked, wondering if this boy was afraid to talk to strangers.

"Merlon, this boy is not meek. He simply just cannot speak!" Merlee spoke for him, making sure that Mute wasn't made a fool of in front of the magician who kept the Light Prognosticus.

"Ah! Of course!" Merlon said, patting Mute on the back. "The Light Prognosticus stated that one of the heroes could not speak his own feelings in words, but in actions! You must be the hero named Mario!" Merlon announced Mute's hero name. Mute arched his left eyebrow.

"Mario?" Timpani asked. "So I'm not the only one with a different name?" Timpani asked, wondering how Mute and her would be alike in terms of working together to defeat Count Bleck…whoever he really was. Merlon nodded.

"Yes. Mario is the first of the four Heroes. With his help, you will find the other three. Did you find the second Pure Heart yet?" Merlon asked, looking toward Timpani to see if she had the rod. Timpani nodded and revealed her rod to him, the orange heart visible on top of the red one.

"Very good." Merlon said, nodding. He turned back to Merlee. "Merlee, you can go home. I must speak to these two on extremely important matters." Merlon told her. Merlee bowed her head.

"Of course, Merlon. It is only logical that you must tell them a ton." Merlee said, making her way to the door. She shut it as she walked out, leaving Merlon alone with the two teenage heroes.

"Please, sit down." Merlon motioned to the two armchairs that Timpani once sat down in with the wizard himself. Without hesitation, they went into the chairs and landed on the cushions to relax their bodies a little.

"What is your first-born name?" Merlon looked at Mute and stared at him. He didn't expect an answer, but he did expect Timpani to know.

"His name is Mute. He goes to the same school as I do." Timpani replied for him, making sure that he wasn't uncomfortable with Merlon suddenly asking sudden questions. She leaned in toward Mute's ear, whispering something.

"He'll be asking you a lot, so I'll answer for you." Timpani told him. Mute nodded, his eyes wide enough to show his nervous state.

"Are you aware of the Void that is appearing above us that will destroy everything if we do not stop it?" Merlon asked. Mute shook his head. Timpani knew that she couldn't answer that one, since she didn't know if he knew that. Merlon took a few minutes to explain everything about the Void that he told Timpani. Mute nodded slowly after the graphic description, his eyes narrower than before.

"How about the Heroes? The Pure Hearts? The Light and Dark Prognosticus?" Merlon asked.

"Um, I actually told him some of that stuff before we got here." Timpani jumped in and stopped Merlon from explaining things. Merlon nodded.

"Excellent. That's wonderful. Now, you know everything that you need to know about our situation. Now, about your identity as a hero…" Merlon thought for a moment, peering over at the Light Prognosticus. Mute cocked his head to the side, his innocent blue eyes blinking a couple of times.

"You are the leader of the Four Heroes, and given one of the more powerful abilities. You were able to stun that monster, allowing Tippi to almost destroy it, correct?" Merlon asked.

Mute nodded.

"That is your ability. You can stun enemies to help Tippi destroy it, however for defense, you also have another ability. Hold out your hand when you are in danger, face the palm at the enemy and think to yourself that you need to be protected. The ability shall aid you in time." Merlon explained to him. Mute looked a little confused, trying to comprehend this information.

"Do I get another ability?" Timpani asked, curious to know if she was able to do more than blind the people or things that she faced. Merlon thought for a couple more seconds.

"I am unsure at this point, but that is something you should not be so concerned about." Merlon told her, turning back to Mute. "You have a large duty ahead of you, as does she. Work together, and you will find more help and another chance to save this world before it is swallowed into the darkness."

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

_Do do do do doooooo…_

Mute's eyes snapped open at the small sound that reached his ears. What time was it? He glanced at the nearby clock. 11:30 AM…

Not bad.

It took him a moment before realizing what the sound was that woke him up. His cell phone was ringing nearby, playing a tune that he was very familiar with. He reached his hand over to the nightstand, picking up the phone carefully. It was a text message from the looks of it. His friends never really called him, since he couldn't talk to them back. He was more of an e-mail and text message person when it came to those sorts of things. He flipped the phone open to the message that was there. Pink text burned his eyes as he read the message that his best friend had sent.

_Hey Mute! Weirdest thing, Burly just asked me out! Wanna come with us to Saffron's?_

Mute was finally awake. Not just awake; he was _shocked._ If he could scream, he would have. Was the world coming to an end? Mute peered out of his window. The Void wasn't growing like Merlon said it would when it signaled that this world was ending. He texted her right back in disbelief, but in the middle of his message, he read the second piece. Oh, just a trip to Saffron's? Was that really considered a date? In Peach's standards, it might. Going with a guy to a place to eat was _supposedly_ a date, but Mute wasn't so sure. He tried to remember if he got Timpani's number. Maybe he would make her tag along. Or maybe Blumiere. They were the two he told his old days with Burly and Peach with. No one else really knew except…of course!

Unknowing to Timpani, Mute had told one other person about his old days. Someone who would be interested in this sort of thing. He deleted the text message he was going to send to Peach and sent one to someone else.

_Lulu, meet me at Saffron's in an hour. _

_--Mute_

**// . r a i n b o w . // **

"You're going to Saffron's?" asked a curious Timpani, peering across the street at her green-garbed friend.

"Mute said I should come, and I'm really not doing anything today anyway." Lulu answered, smoothing the hair underneath her cap.

"Um, okay…" Timpani thought it was certainly sudden for Mute to do that. She gave Lulu a suspicious look, wondering why she would even go this time. It was only fifteen minutes before lunch, only one of Saffron's busiest times. With the way Timpani was brought up, she was told to not go into a place to eat whenever it was full like that. Yet, Lulu seemed to be excited to go.

"Can I come?" Timpani found herself asking. '_I'm a total hypocrite right now._' Timpani thought in defeat. Lulu nodded.

"I'm sure it'll be fine. C'mon, tag along!" Lulu said, walking over to where Timpani was and giving her one of her old-fashioned-hard-to-get-out-of-grip-hug. Timpani smiled, but still tried to squirm out of her best friend's arms.

"Heh, sorry." Lulu realized she was killing her friend and let go, making Timpani's limp body fall to the ground.

"I don't think I can feel my torso…" Timpani muttered, sobbing. She got up slowly, looking in the direction of her favorite restaurant. Lulu followed, joking with her best friend on the way to the first floor.

Talking with Lulu seemed like a blast from the past, but Timpani found herself fighting back the urge to mention Blumiere. If she told Lulu about Blumiere, Lulu would be all over her. She'd accuse her of _liking _him! That wasn't true…was it? Timpani kept this in her mind as she and Lulu talked about things that were going on in school. Typical girl gossip-like, although Lulu was somewhat of a tomboy. Hey, no one ever said that tomboys couldn't gossip too.

"Mimi came in with a bump on her head after she disappeared from yesterday's baseball game. It was really weird." Lulu explained.

"A bump?" Timpani asked, wondering if Mimi was all right.

"Yeah, and plus she got mad whenever someone brought it up in class. Her screeching almost me lose my hearing, but Damien had some ear plugs with him." Lulu laughed. Timpani had been wondering what the deal was with Damien. The strange, dramatic boy seemed to be a cross between class clown and the kid who's in the back of the class who creeps you out. Although he wasn't disrupting class like Burly or Chunk was, he always had to comment about small things like the one-day that Timpani brought in matching socks. He commented on how it looked so different and that was soon followed up by a question of whether she had brain damage or not.

That did not end up well. Lulu ended up beating the poor boy, only getting her into more trouble.

"Hey, Damien, what are you doing here?"

Lulu's voice brought Timpani's attention back to reality. The boy who she was curious about was standing right here! But he wasn't alone. Natasha was right behind him, wearing her school uniform on a Saturday.

"We're getting some lunch at the nearby café." Damien answered, carrying that same grin that he wore everywhere. "Blumiere and Mimi are probably going to join us, perhaps maybe later. What are you two doing here?" Damien got to the point right away.

"Same deal, only we're meeting Mute." Lulu answered before Timpani got the chance. Damien chuckled.

"Of course, of course. I just don't expect to see you two outside of school…" Damien said, turning to Natasha. Natasha nodded in agreement, keeping her silence.

"We'd better get going quickly, Damien." Natasha finally spoke up. "We need to meet _them _there, after all." Natasha adjusted her glasses.

"Oh, let's go together." Lulu jumped between the two, smiling. Damien placed his hand underneath his chin, glancing over to Timpani.

"You don't want to leave dear Timpani behind…" Damien muttered, taking notice of the young girl.

"No, I'd never leave Timpani behind!" Lulu said, throwing her shoulder over Timpani's. Timpani smiled sheepishly, turning her eyes away from the others.

"Isn't that sweet, Natasha?" Damien chuckled. Natasha looked at the two girls with a small glare, but it softened when she saw Timpani's small smile.

"Let's just get going to Saffron's, 'K?" Natasha asked, rolling her eyes at Damien. "I bet our friends are waiting for us." Natasha said as she went ahead down the street and to the elevator that would take her to the first floor. Damien chuckled again, waving to Lulu and Timpani before leaving. They went into the elevator and down into the first floor.

"Doesn't he freak you out?" Timpani asked, looking at Lulu suspiciously. Lulu stared back with confusion.

"Who? Damien?" Lulu asked. Timpani nodded with wide eyes. Lulu thought about it for a few moments, her pupils in the corner of her eyes.

"He can be kinda creepy with the way he laughs and all, but…" she looked down at her watch, spotting the time. "AAAAH! We have to go!" Lulu took Timpani's arm and dragged her to the elevator, taking it down to the path to the restaurant.

"_Such innocent humans, bathing in the light with such innocence…" _

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

Mute was at the restaurant about thirty minutes early than he told Lulu, which gave him time to hang around the entrance. Fiddling his fingers through his hands, he never knew he'd actually be amused to see what he was told was going to happen. Burly was actually going out with Peach? The sound of that made his ears twitch.

"Mute? Is that you?"

Mute whipped around to see the golden-haired girl who was his best friend. Peach was dressed in a pink blouse and skirt that fell to her knees. It ruffled like the large waves on a beach, giving it some burst of pinkish color. Her blonde hair was tied back into a ponytail, looking similar to Timpani's hairstyle. She wore a pair of pink sunglasses, which she took off as she approached Mute.

Mute nodded quickly, but his eyes widened as he noticed who was behind her. His blue eyes were the widest they could ever be at this sight. He tried to hold back a laugh as Burly stepped in front of Peach. He actually combed his hair, which was a first. Plus his out-of-school attire was nothing that Mute had ever seen on him. Was that a tie? Mute was going to burst out laughing out loud for the first time if one of them didn't talk to stop him.

"Hey, Mute, how are you doing?" Burly asked.

Wait…

No anger? No glares that pierced through his eyes? No 'OH GOD DAMN IT, YOU'RE GOING TO RUIN THE DATE!'? Was Burly making peace with him only because Peach wanted him to? These questions ran through the silent boy's head, making him confused. Mute quickly motioned to Burly that he was doing fine, nodding with a nervous smile.

"That's good. Let's go get something to eat, I'm starved!" Burly said, taking Peach's hand and taking her into the restaurant. Peach giggled like the giddy girl she was, waving to Mute to allow him to follow. Mute raised his index finger toward Peach to signal 'one second'. He looked down the street to see two figures approaching. He knew it must have been Lulu…and maybe she brought Timpani with her. He expected as much. He waved to them, but immediately put it down as he realized that it was Natasha and Damien.

"I didn't know you'd be here." Natasha said with surprise as she saw Mute. "Is this some class reunion or something?" it had only been two days since the first day, which made the poor organized girl confused. Damien shook his head.

"It is only a perfect, sunny day, and all of our classmates want to eat here." Damien reminded Natasha. "As do we. Come, Natasha." Damien said as he walked to the door and held it open for Natasha. Natasha glared at Damien as she neared the doorway.

"I am not a dog." Natasha said sharply, walking into the restaurant. Mute looked away as Damien walked into the restaurant, soon seeing the figures of Lulu and Timpani nearing the building. Mute glared at them as they came.

"Sorry! We ran into Damien and Natasha on the way!" Timpani apologized.

Mute pointed to the window and motioned for the two girls to look. Lulu went first, Timpani following. He pointed to the table where Burly and Peach sat at, where the waitress was taking their drink order. Lulu burst out laughing, while Timpani had the ability to hold it back and stare with astonishment.

"Whoa, check it out! Burly's got guts now!" Lulu cheered. Timpani smiled as she looked at the two of them carefully, but it soon faded at the sight of something suspicious. She stared at Burly with close caution, realizing that something was off about him.

"Something wrong, Timpani?" Lulu noticed that she wasn't smiling or laughing like either of them. Mute turned his attention to Timpani, curious to what she was thinking.

"It's just that…something seems a little off." Timpani admitted. Lulu cocked her head, but Mute nodded in agreement. "He doesn't seem like himself, Burly, I mean." Timpani explained.

"Well, let's go figure it out then!" Lulu shouted, rushing to the door. Mute ran to try and stop her, but Lulu had already jammed the door open and was already in the restaurant.

"That's the problem. She's got long legs and you don't." Timpani told Mute, her eyes wide at Lulu's determination. Mute groaned silently, walking into the restaurant after the giddy teenage tomboy. Timpani laughed quietly as she followed, knowing that Lulu was only going to get herself into a mess.

"Oh crap, I didn't know she'd invite him." Came the voice of Natasha from a table afar from the couple of Burly and Peach. Damien folded his menu, a smirk clearly on his face.

"Do not worry. If you did a good job, Burly should carry out his duties and we shall get what we desire." Damien said, obviously unafraid of what was he was talking about.

"Dammit, you'd better be knowing what you're doing." Natasha whispered, sipping some tea in front of her. The steam from the tea made her glasses turn white with fog. '_But he was really sure that he could pull this plan off. What would you do in a mess like this, Count? The same?_'

"Lulu? Are you here for an outing here too?" Peach's bright voice reached the ears of Lulu as she arrived in the building by running over the host before he could show her to a table. Mute and Timpani had to apologize for that, which was no real problem.

"Kinda sorta…but listen! Why are you out on a date with Burly? **Burly** of all people!" Lulu was extremely loud about the scenario.

"Um…is there a problem with it?" Peach asked, her smile fading. Burly glared.

"Hey! You don't get to control what Peachy does!"

Peachy?

Mute caught him saying that. Mute was really suspicious now. In all of his years, he had never heard Burly have the courage to even give her a pet name like that. There was something up, no doubt.

"Thanks, Burly." Peach smiled again, giving Burly a hug. And she was actually playing along too! Was this some joke? Mute's mouth was wide open. Timpani was in some amount of shock too, but not nearly as much as the childhood friend. Of course, there was nothing suspicious with the way Peach was acting. She was her normal, carefree, loving self.

"All those years I've wanted to go out with you, Peachy…it's all paying off!" Burly exclaimed, making Mute's face turn pale in the background. Lulu was getting good entertainment out of this, while Timpani was wondering if they were some on bizarre T.V. show.

'_This is making no sense…_' Timpani thought. She suddenly felt something in her pocket. It was her rod. She picked it out of her pocket, examining it. Both key chains were glowing, but there was something about the heart keychain. It was glowing **black.**

'_Why is it doing that?_' Timpani thought, staring at the keychain. She accidentally moved it closer to the couple, and it began to even rumble. Her eyes widened behind her glasses. '_Why is it reacting to them?_' she didn't seem to notice the star keychain glowing as well, for the inky light on the star keychain seemed to catch her attention a little more. She tried to show this to Mute, but he seemed to be dead from the way he looked.

"Mute, are you alright?" Peach also noticed his white face. "You don't look too good. Maybe we should order you some tea." Peach called for the waitress. Mute gulped as he looked toward Burly, worry swimming around those blue eyes of his. As Burly made eye contact with the red-capped hero, there was a moment where everything froze. Mute's eyes widened. There was a glare on Burly's face, accompanied with a smirk. That may have been enough to stun any other person, but Mute was observant. Burly's eyes had no pupils.

Oh yeah, something was _really _wrong.

"Timpani! Shake some sense into that boy!" Lulu yelled at Timpani as she finally looked away from her rod and toward her friend. She turned toward Mute, who seemed to locking glares with Burly. She walked over toward Mute, poking him on the shoulder.

"Are you going to be okay?" Timpani asked, turning her head to the side. Mute nodded nervously, still keeping his gaze on Burly. He really wanted to tell Timpani and Lulu about what he just discovered, but he just _couldn't._ Maybe something would happen to alert them and make them react! He needed some sort of…

"Gaaaah…wha…?"

That gruff voice was music to Mute's ears. He whipped back to Burly to see that slowly, his pupils were returning. Whatever had happened to him, he was returning back to his normal state.

"Burly?" Peach asked, her smile fading once again and replaced with a concerned frown. Timpani and Lulu stared. The black color in her rod's keychain faded a little, making Timpani avert her gaze in that direction. What was going on? Before she really had the chance to ask, the lights in the restaurant suddenly burned out. Screams filled the air as the doors slammed shut, leaving no way out for anyone who came to Saffron's for lunch.

"Wha…Peach!" Burly got an idea of what was going on and grabbed his date. "What's going on?" he asked, extremely confused.

"What do you mean 'what's going on'? You asked me on a date!" Peach seemed irritated that he suddenly forgot about their lovely, yet short outing.

"Is it an enemy?" Timpani asked, looking around. She dived under a table in case something was to happen. She lifted the tablecloth up to get a good view of the café area, indeed seeing the enemy nearby. Two floating figures neared the couple, a secretary and a jester being in the air. The jester held out his hands to silence the screaming citizens, releasing a certain spell that put them all into an unconscious state of sleep.

"Dear, innocent people, we wish for you to take a moment to ignore this event as we give birth to the Chaos Heart…" the jester floated down to the ground, the secretary landing behind him. "Nastasia, I am very surprised that he was not hypnotized for the entire session."

'_Hypnotized?!' _was the similar thought running through every person's head.

"W-wait a second! I was **hypnotized? **WHAT THE HELL?" Burly growled, turning to the enemy before him.

"Yeah, you were. And it would have helped if you stayed that way. You were quieter when strings were attached to your limbs." The secretary addressed as Nastasia said, adjusting her glasses. Timpani's eyes widened. The enemy was plotting something huge! Why possess Burly of all people? She had to stop them! She raised her rod, moving toward the back of the table so that the light wouldn't be caught by either of the enemies. She transformed quickly, secretly hoping that Mute would get his chance soon too. Timpani became Tippi and waited for a moment to strike.

"Try again, Nastasia. Our dear Count Bleck said he wants the Chaos Heart more than ever." The jester mused, smirking from beneath his monochrome mask. Nastasia sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, whatever. I just hope it'll remain on my schedule this time!" Nastasia neared Burly, glaring into his eyes. Peach moved in front of him, giving her a sharp glare.

"You'll do no such thing!" Peach yelled.

"Hey, I'm late as it is! I have lots of other plans to fill for my Count!" Nastasia yelled back, ready to take her out with whatever strength she had.

"Who are you? Why do you want to hypnotize Burly?" Peach snapped, demanding answers. The jester laughed, floating over towards the blonde girl.

"My dear, we are the ones who want to cleanse these dimensions of your precious race. Er, humans. I am Dimentio, the master of Dimensions! And this is Nastasia, personal secretary to Count Bleck, future ruler of this universe and keeper of the Dark Prognosticus!" Dimentio exclaimed, raising his hands into the air.

"Why is Burly being targeted, you monsters?" Peach yelled, obviously not satisfied with their answers.

"Just sit back and you'll find out in one sec, 'K?" Nastasia asked, pushing Peach aside with a swipe of her clipboard.

'_That was easy. She is the kind-hearted princess after all, right? Now, let's get ourselves a united couple!_' Nastasia stared right into Burly's eyes, a wave of energy suddenly flooding the tough boy's brain. Burly suddenly forgot all sense and let himself go into the hypnosis. Peach got up quickly, trying to shake Burly.

"Burly! Burly!" Peach desperately tried to get him back, but it was no use. Nastasia had already brainwashed him.

"Now, Romeo, give a precious kiss to your lovely Juliet!" Dimentio demanded. Like clockwork, Burly tried to grab Peach and keep her there to lock her into a kiss, but someone else was quicker. The rainbow flash of Tippi's skirt zoomed by and she was able to grab Peach.

"W-what?" Peach looked over at Tippi, who soon let go of the rescued damsel.

"You've got to get out of here, Peach! Just trust me to get rid of these guys." Tippi said, winking to her. Peach nodded slowly, but Dimentio and Nastasia wouldn't have it.

"You cannot escape from here!" Dimentio said, holding out his hand. A star of dark light erupted from his palm, heading straight at Tippi. Without defense, Tippi was blasted back into the wall. Blood leaked from where she was struck; her right arm. She struggled to get back up.

"He's strong…" Tippi whimpered. She got out her rod with her left hand, attempting to point it at the jester. "RAINBOW…"

"Sorry pixie, I have no time for your little magic tricks…" Dimentio fired another star at her, knocking her back once more. The scream was horrible in the ears of both Mute and Lulu, who were standing towards the back.

"That heroine is getting her ass kicked! We have to do something, Mute!" Lulu said to her friend, worry in her blue-green eyes. Mute nodded and ran back into the kitchen.

"W-where are you going?!" Lulu asked in shock. Why would he run away?

Mute rushed into the kitchen, careful not to step on any unconscious chefs. He got out his red cap and placed it over his original red cap, activating the transformation. He transformed into Mario, the first Hero. He raced back into the kitchen, glaring at Dimentio and Nastasia.

"Another hero? Damn, I thought this wouldn't have so much trouble!" Nastasia motioned for Dimentio to take care of him. At the same time, Nastasia casted a greater hypnosis on Burly.

'_You will be united with Peach…go to her…she awaits you…_' those words echoed in Burly's absent mind as he was informed his one goal.

"Pesky child, do not interfere…" Dimentio prepared another attack to fire at Mario. Mario was ready to back fire at this one. He remembered what Merlon told him earlier about his other ability. Dimento released another star, which was coming at the boy much faster than Tippi's was. Yet, to Mario, it seemed far too slow. He searched within himself. He needed protection from this powerful attack that not even Tippi could deflect! He held out his palm, expecting something to erupt from his hand and deflect the star. Instead, something appeared. A weapon. A wooden hammer appeared in the gloved hands of Mario, very well crafted in every way. With a powerful swing, Mario was able to deflect the star back at Dimentio.

"Hmm…impressive." Dimentio was able to warp out of the way before it struck him down. "But it will take so much more for you to defeat me." Dimentio said, glaring at Mario from that mask of his.

Peach made her way toward the injured Tippi, trying to make sure that she was all right.

"Miss…" Peach tried to get Tippi up by supporting her. Tippi groaned.

"Peach, please…get out of here." Tippi told her, the bruises aching her legs and arms badly. "You've got to, otherwise…"

It was too late. The strong arms of Peach had already grabbed the fair damsel and thrust her in front of Burly's face. Tippi's eyes widened as Mario darted around to see what was occurring.

It all seemed so slow. In what seemed to be more than a few seconds, there came no time for either Mario or Tippi to stop Burly from moving in toward Peach's pale face and lips. Before each one of them knew it, their lips were locked. What seemed to be an eternity after that sight (which seemed bittersweet to those who were watching, excluding the two villains), a huge tremor occurred.

"W-what is going on?!" Lulu asked, the shaking of the earth forcing her to the ground. Mario jumped back to Lulu, protecting her from whatever the tremor made fall to the ground. This happened to be parts of the ceiling and maybe even a few small pieces of pipe. Tippi saw that Peach was gasping for air as she was let out of the kiss, and Burly seemed to return to his normal self. As the tremor resided, the black light in Tippi's rod burned brighter than ever as a strange, black heart appeared above the heads of Peach and Burly.

"What is that?!" Tippi asked, her eyes wide at the sight of it. Dimentio laughed, and Nastasia smiled. What came next made Tippi truly afraid. Her real enemy made himself seen.

Before her eyes, Count Bleck appeared.

"Bleck is proud of both of you." Bleck's cold and twisted voice made Tippi shiver. Mario and Lulu stared as well, not able to move out of fear. His snow-white cape draped over his dark blue body, revealing a tinge of indigo beneath of his outfit. A white top hat was on his head, covering a patch of messy, indigo hair. Gloves covered his hands, while a rod was held tight in his right hand. The rod was adorned with a large, blue diamond and a crimson staff. Upon his right eye, there was a monocle. His other visible eye had a red iris.

"The Chaos Heart has been born from the uniting of the monstrous king and the pure-hearted princess!" Bleck exclaimed, smirking.

The Chaos Heart looked just like a Pure Heart, however it was about two times larger and was dyed a horrible black color. It emitted a chilling dark aura that everyone could feel. It seemed to be attracted to the book that was floating by Bleck's side, which Tippi assumed to be the Dark Prognosticus.

"We live to serve you, my Count." Dimentio said, bowing. Nastasia bowed her head as well, smiling.

"Excellent, excellent. Now, the Void shall be able to grow even faster. This dimension and others will be swallowed…by Count Bleck!" Bleck yelled, letting out a cruel laugh to match his twisted voice. Tippi found the strength to stand, aiming her wand at Bleck.

"RAINBOW REVOLULTION!" Tippi yelled, the light erupting from her rod and straight at the lord of darkness. Bleck turned his head and held out his own rod with apathy. His own rod absorbed the light with no effort at all, only giving Tippi the same smirk he had on his face as he saw the Chaos Heart.

"So you are the pixie who foiled Bleck's plan to get the Pure Hearts before?" Bleck questioned, nearing Tippi.

"NO!" Lulu screamed. Mario held her back, not wanting her to be harmed. Lulu wanted this heroine to prevail, although she had no clue who she really was. If Lulu really knew that Tippi was really Timpani, Mario would have no real strength to hold her back.

"Silence!" Dimentio yelled to Lulu as he saw the two. Mario stood before Lulu, protecting her from his coming attack.

"Foolish optimism will get you no where, Bleck says." Bleck said, glaring at Tippi. He aimed his own rod at her, the sharp diamond at the end nearby reaching her throat. "Why even try? This universe is doomed!" Bleck laughed once more, ready to attack her with a fatal blast. Suddenly, without warning, something ran through the Count's head.

'_Every living thing as a reason to live…and I know mine was that I was born to be here for you…_'

"GAH!" Bleck yelled, the blast suddenly weakening. It was not fatal, but it threw Tippi against the wall once again. Her own rod slipped out of her hand and fell towards where Burly and Peach were.

"Count!" Nastasia raced over to Count Bleck, making sure he was okay.

"Why…why are _her _words haunting me?!" Bleck yelled, glaring at the ground as he tried to recover from the sudden memory jolt.

"Count?" Nastasia asked. Bleck caught his words. He was overreacting, and he sat up as he realized this.

"There is no reason to worry so, Nastasia." Bleck told her, turning away from the secretary and towards the weakened Tippi. "I shall put an end to this light…" he said sharply, ready for another attack. As he neared the frail Tippi, a strong light suddenly averted his gaze. Tippi's star keychain was reacting to Peach and Burly!

"What's going on?!" Nastasia demanded, noticing the strange reaction to the two teenagers. An orb of pink light first appeared out of the keychain, shooting right at Peach. It emitted a warm and bright shimmer, making Peach reach out her hand to touch it softly. It glowed even brighter at the pure maiden's fingers, reacting to her. It suddenly took form as a hot pink parasol, falling into Peach's hands. Without any hesitation, Peach opened the parasol. With another flash of pink light, her Saturday clothes soon disappeared in the light, replaced with a regal, pink gown. White gloves reached up to her elbows, while a golden crown appeared upon the top of her blonde head. She stood, the new power awakening in her.

"Another hero? Bleck is not amused!" Bleck spat, glaring at Peach. However, this event was far from over. A second orb of light made itself seen, this one being orange instead of pink. This one rushed toward Burly, glowing bright like fire. Burly did the same action as Peach, touching the light with his open hand. This orb took the shape of a golden necklace, the chain locking an emblem that resembled a flame near the center. The necklace floated above Burly's head, fitting itself over his head and onto his neck. Another transformation began.

Burly's hair flared up, spiking in its original fashion before Nastasia hypnotized him. A green and orange outfit took the place of his casual-formal clothing that he wore to the date. The back of the outfit had spikes shooting out from it; giant, yellow spikes. Even his skin began to take on a light orange coloration, as he finally became a hero like Peach and Mario.

"**Two heroes**? Bleck shall give you both a proper punishment for missing this!" Bleck roared to Dimentio and Nastasia.

"For hypnotizing me into doing something stupid, I'll roast your ass!" Burly roared, sucking in air after his statement. "FIERY WRATH!" he yelled before blowing out a wave of fire at the enemies.

"Damn you…" Bleck was able to defend himself with a barrier, but Nastasia was slightly burnt by the fire. Dimentio was floating in the air, so it did not affect him. The jester suddenly directed his attention to the pink princess.

"PURE PINK KISS!" Peach yelled, opening her parasol and releasing a wave of pink energy at Dimentio.

"AH!" Dimentio was caught off guard and forced back into the wall of the restaurant. He got back up slowly, smirking as he did before. There was no stopping this jester, for he always had a plan up his sleeve.

"They are nothing, my Count." Dimentio spoke up, ready to attack either one. "Say the word and they are dead." Dimentio said, snapping his fingers. The Chaos Heart that was nearby seemed to draw near to where the two new heroes stood. "With the power of the Chaos Heart, they will be destroyed in an instant!"

"Dimentio, do not use the power of the Chaos Heart." Nastasia said strictly, glaring.

At this point, Mario could no longer hold back Lulu from attempting to help. Lulu broke free of Mario's grip and rushed toward Dimentio. With her long legs, she leapt onto the floating jester.

"You won't hurt anyone, you bastard!" Lulu roared, trying to block his vision by punching him in the head.

"Impudent bitch!" Dimentio roared, forcing Lulu off his back and allowing her to fly toward the Chaos Heart.

"LULU!" Tippi screamed, rushing toward the flying, green girl.

What happened next surprised everyone.

The Chaos Heart suddenly began to beat, creating a small tremor in the area. As Lulu flew past it and almost into a wall, she could not see what was occurring. Tippi rushed toward her friend, kneeling near her.

"Lulu! Lulu! Answer me!" Tippi shook her weakened friend, tears filling her eyes. '_No…please be okay!_' she begged in her mind. Mario followed, a look of absolute horror on his face. He felt horrible that he couldn't protect her! The Chaos Heart suddenly stopped beating, releasing a small orb of _darkness._ A sphere of inky energy floated over nearby Lulu, circling her head. Bleck noticed this, along with Dimentio and Nastasia. Dimentio chuckled.

"Why did I not see this sooner?" he asked quietly, grinning. '_She is the one we have been looking for…_'

Tippi reached for rod, realizing that it was still over by where Burly and Peach were before they transformed. She couldn't stop this darkness, whatever it was going to do. Without warning, it flew into Lulu's body. Lulu screamed, pain filling her entire body from her legs to her head.

"Lulu!" Tippi, Peach, and Burly said in unison, knowing that whatever was happening, it was very bad.

"Tsk, says Bleck." Bleck spoke up to get the heroes' attention. "Look outside your window! Your dimension is doomed! BLEH HEH HEH! BLECK!" At the sound of his twisted laugh, Tippi could not believe what was happening.

The Void was larger than it was before. The power of the Chaos Heart had made it grow.

"Time is short, you filthy heroes! Try and stop Bleck, and you will die trying!" Bleck exclaimed, taking the Dark Prognosticus and disappearing in a flash. Dimentio chuckled once again, taking a long look at Lulu.

"We'll be back for you…" Dimentio said quietly, making Tippi hug her best friend close. Dimentio disappeared in a flash, Nastasia following.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

"This truly is bad."

The three heroes, Tippi, and an unconscious Lulu were back at Merlon's house. Merlon looked gravely worried, staring out the window to where the Void was slowly growing.

"Yeah, well, it wasn't our fault entirely." Burly argued.

"I am aware, Bowser." Merlon stated Burly's hero name. "Yet, we are the ones who will stop it. Tippi, how is your friend?" Merlon asked, turning to Lulu. Tippi gave him a look of worry, checking her best friend's pulse once more.

"She's breathing, which is a relief. What was that orb of darkness that flew into her?" Tippi questioned, knowing that it would not add up to a good thing.

"I am unsure." Merlon sounded like he really didn't know. "There are some things in the Dark Prognosticus that are never spoken of in the Light Prognosticus." Merlon told her. Tippi nodded slowly, looking over at Peach and Bowser and back toward where Mario was.

"So we must find the other Pure Hearts as quickly as possible?" Peach asked Merlon; concerned for the status of how the Void was growing. Merlon nodded.

"Indeed. That restaurant you were at seemed to brim of a pure aura. Go back sometime and examine the place to find what may be a Pure Heart." Merlon told them. "Tippi, did you get your rod?"

Tippi nodded, holding up her rod.

"Good. Now, go home and get some rest. Mario, come here and take this Lulu home." Merlon said, motioning for the silent boy to carry her back to her house. The heroes deactivated their transformation, returning to their human selves.

"This is one hell of a day…" Burly complained, groaning at the fact that everything seemed to happen all at once.

"Don't worry so much, Burly. It will all be for the good of our worlds!" Peach said, trying to keep optimism. Timpani smiled weakly, but she knew it was no use. The Void was growing in size, and now Lulu was caught in this mess. Everything was spinning out of control, and she had to help guide these Heroes to victory. She was doing a crappy job.

_What should I do…? _

_Blumiere, help me…_

**Next Time…**

_Dark times are ahead, that's what Merlon has been telling us. Lulu is acting really weird, and Dimentio is after her. I have to watch her back! Oh…Mute, why are you so worried? Are you worried about Lulu too? But if those things weren't enough, a trip to Flipside Tower goes all wrong, and we're all warped to different Dimensions! Dammit, why is this happening all so fast? I'm just glad I'm not alone in this dimension. Blumiere is here with me…but where is Lulu? I have to find her! _

Coming soon!

Episode Four: Lulu is Kidnapped! A Labyrinth of Dimensions


	4. Episode Four

**(Author's Notes: All right! Fourth Episode! This one's going to have a lot of events in this one, so…yeah. Lots of plot twisters. I'm pretty sure that most of them are obvious, though since they're all related to the twists in SPM. So, do enjoy! Oh, a little message to everyone. I may end up editing the third chapter 'next episode' preview to match this chapter's content. It doesn't go as far as I thought it would.**

**To Micro-Mini:**** I overreact when I write my Author's Notes section. And it just feels like it takes a while even though it's really not. Heh heh heh…I shouldn't, though. Thanks for always reviewing! I really appreciate it. I'm so glad that you really like it.) **

**F L I P . / . F L O P**

"It feels like I can't breathe…"

"_You're trapped in a nightmare, wandering like you're within a dream…_"

"Timpani…? Mute…? Why am I all alone?"

"_No one can help you now…except me." _

"It's so cold, yet…I like it."

"_You were born to come to the darkness, Luigi. Come to us before you regret it!_"

**Episode Four: Lulu is Kidnapped! A ****Labyrinth of Dimensions**

The restaurant was no longer the mess it was the day before.

The broken walls and windows were repaired as if nothing had truly happened there. As if the Chaos Heart had not appeared at the uniting of Burly and Peach, or as if Bleck had not threatened to kill Tippi on the spot as he aimed his staff of dark energy at her. In fact, the owner had decided to close it for this Sunday for the event had caused a huge mess and a lot of gossip.

Saffron, the owner of the restaurant, was a kind woman with a good taste in cooking. Literally. She was the best chef in Flipside, always making people smile with her delicious meals. However, she was also known for her generous and benevolent personality. She was a great friend with the regulars of her restaurant, which happened to be Lulu and Timpani. She knew Lulu a little better than Timpani, but that didn't mean all that much in the long run. Because of Timpani's connections with the city-famous chef, she was able to get in and search for the Pure Heart with Mute, Peach, and Burly. It did not take that long before the heart keychain began to glow.

The shimmer of pale, yellow light filled the room almost immediately, forcing the four teenagers to throw their hands over their eyes, especially the mediocre heroes who had previously joined the team just the day before. Peach and Burly were the ones who removed their hands from their faces last as they saw Timpani holding the newly found Pure Heart in her hands. It glowed with a yellow aura, floating between her open hands. She smiled as she took out her rod to seal it away. Chanting the spell to seal it away, the Pure Heart flew into her rod for safekeeping.

"Three down, five to go." Timpani said with a sigh.

"Do you think they're all in Flipside?" Peach asked. Mute gave Peach a weird look that seemed to be asking 'why do you say that?'

"Don't tell we have to take a freaking ship to other dimensions in order to find some dinky, glowing hearts." Burly remarked, glaring at Timpani. Timpani shook her head.

"I really don't know. For all we know, we might have to." Timpani told them. Burly groaned, while Peach and Mute nodded.

"If it's what we have to do, then we must. For the sake of everyone in this universe, right?" Peach asked, turning to Burly with a smile. Burly's cheeks tinted a red shade, and he found himself stuttering.

"U-uh, yeah…" Burly said, looking at the ground. Mute smiled and turned his glance back to Timpani. He reached into his pocket and took out his notepad and his pen, writing down something for Timpani to read.

_Is Lulu doing okay?_

Timpani nodded.

"She's doing a lot better. I went to go see her today. She's conscious, but she seems to be running a little fever. She may not come into school tomorrow." Timpani explained. Peach caught what Mute had written on his paper.

"Gee, I hope that she'll feel better soon. What exactly happened to her?" Peach asked, unsure of what happened to Lulu. Timpani thought about it carefully, staring at the floor of the restaurant. She tried to remember exactly what occurred. It was difficult. It all happened so fast…and it scared the crap out of her. With Dimentio and Nastasia…and Bleck. The Chaos Heart emitted a black orb that absorbed into Lulu's body. Oh, what did it mean?

"Timpani?" Peach asked, concern flooding her emotions. Even Burly gave Timpani a look that seemed to resemble worry. Mute shared the feelings, especially since he knew what had happened with Lulu. He saw the black orb that went into her body and made her in pain. Mute began to question himself as he thought of the event. He could never remember himself being so worried over someone. Seeing her in pain made his heart fall into his stomach. He couldn't bare that feeling, and he wanted to make sure that Lulu was unharmed. She was an innocent girl, and she had no reason to be involved with the dangerous things that the heroes had to do.

Unless she happened to be Hero…

That gave Mute bittersweet feelings.

"We should probably go home." Peach broke the silence. She didn't expect an answer from Timpani at this point. "Don't worry so much, Timpani. Everything's going to be okay." Peach gave Timpani a hug to reassure everything. Timpani hugged back, smiling. She was so glad that she wasn't alone for this. Burly rolled his eyes.

"Ugh, it's so cheesy." Burly spat. "Why don't we just go prance around in a field of bright flowers?" Burly asked. Peach giggled.

"Go ahead and do that, Burly." Timpani joked. "We'll be right behind you." Timpani said, walking toward the door back outside to Flipside. Burly rolled his eyes, pretending he didn't hear her comment. Mute smiled as he followed Timpani, hiding away his worry for Lulu. If she didn't come to school tomorrow, he'd go visit her. He knew where her house was.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

"Hey…are you awake…?"

Timpani's eyes lifted open, her glasses falling off of her face and onto her desk. Her blue eyes were completely visible to anyone who took a glance at her, especially the one who woke her up. Drool hung out of the corner of her mouth, which leaked onto her right hand that was directly underneath her mouth. Her hair was a mess, despite the fact that it was tied back into a ponytail. She slowly turned her head to the side, groaning quietly to herself. She found herself making eye contact with her neighbor, Blumiere.

"Oh, Blumiere." Timpani rubbed her eyes, her glasses on the desk. She could barely see without her glasses, but at least she was near-sighted enough to see the minor details of him. He had a small smile on his face, probably laughing at how much of a mess she looked at this point. Suddenly, she came to the realization that she had fallen asleep.

"Shoot! How long was I asleep?" Timpani asked, looking ahead to the teacher.

"Thirty minutes. I expect you to make up that lesson later, Timpani." The teacher spoke before Blumiere could, making the entire class giggle and 'ooh' at her. Timpani sighed.

"Alrighty…" Timpani said, picking up her glasses and putting them back before her eyes. Everything was clear again. That dream she was having…it was the memories from the previous day. She dreamt of how she found the third Pure Heart with the others and how she was so nervous about Lulu. Timpani found her thoughts straying away from the dream soon, however. She looked toward Blumiere, who returned to paying attention to the teacher's lesson. Timpani picked up her pencil and poked him in the shoulder with it.

"What is it?" Blumiere whispered, turning his brown eyes away from the teacher and toward her. His voice did not carry any sign of being annoyed, just curious of why she poked him.

"How come you didn't wake me up?" Timpani asked. She wasn't sure why any student wouldn't stop her from dozing off, but as she really thought about it, she assumed that they would have probably had a lot of fun laughing their head off about how she drooled all over her hand or something like that. Blumiere thought about it for a few moments, looking away from Timpani and slowly turning back to her.

"You just looked way too peaceful sleeping like that." Blumiere explained. Timpani was not expecting that one. She looked back at her desk, a small smile forming across her face.

"Y-yeah…uh, thanks…" Timpani wasn't sure if that was supposed to be a compliment or not, but it sure felt like one. She felt so anti-social at the moment, since she hadn't really talked to anyone the entire day. Blumiere raised an eyebrow.

"Thanks for what?" he asked. Timpani blushed. Her comment made no sense!

"Um, sorry. That made no sense at all." Timpani was stuttering now. '_Perfect. I sure know how to make good impressions._' Timpani thought, annoyed. Blumiere laughed quietly.

"You remind me of someone I used to know." Blumiere said, staring off back at the teacher.

'_Someone he used to know? Is that a good thing?_' Timpani asked, unsure of what his motives were. He was sure mysterious, that Blumiere. Timpani tried to focus back on the lesson ahead, but it was hard to because she had no clue of what she was talking about. Eventually, she noticed that Peach had passed down her notes to her to help her realize what the teacher was talking about.

'_Thank goodness I have Peach here to help me. I'd be doomed otherwise._' Timpani thought in relief, flipping through the notes written in hot pink ink. Timpani looked over the notes, scanning them to see what the teacher was talking about. The topic seemed to be about physics and how it related to the Flipside structure and its landmark; the Flipside Tower.

"We're actually going to take a trip to the Flipside Tower today after lunch, which isn't that far away from here." The teacher explained. "We'll be examining the Eight, Old Doors there. Does anyone care to tell me what those are?" the teacher asked, quizzing her students. Damien raised a hand.

"The Eight, Old Doors are rumored to be doors leading to other dimensions, ma'am." Damien said without a doubt in his phrase. The teacher smiled.

"Very good." The teacher said. "There is a rumor going around that Flipside isn't actually a true dimension. That is a dirty lie. If we're not a dimension, then what are we?" the teacher asked. Natasha raised her hand.

"A pocket in between dimensions." Natasha said, extremely sure of herself. "A world that connects other dimensions together. It does not truly exist, but without it, others cannot exist." Natasha explained. The teacher paused, letting out a deep exhale.

"Sure. Whatever you say." The teacher said, defeated by her statement. Timpani tried to keep her focus in class, tapping the desk with her pencil. She found her gaze turning to her side every once in a while to take a look at her neighbor. Why did she keep looking at him? As he caught her taking a glance, she snapped back to looking ahead of her. Her face was a little red with the crimson blush, which he seemed to notice.

'_Stop it, Timpani!_' Timpani thought to herself. '_There is no reason why you should be doing this! Although Blumiere is a kind friend, that is all he'll ever be…_' her own thoughts made her feel disappointed. She didn't exactly want to question it now, but somewhere deep inside, she knew why. A sharp cough broke her out of her deep thoughts.

"Lulu, are you sure you're all right?" the teacher asked, looking toward the tall girl's desk.

"Yeah, don't worry. I just have a bad headache." Lulu said, smiling weakly. Lulu looked _terrible._ Her face was pale and had a few lines of green about it. She really did look like she was in pain, however. Her left hand was on her forehead, obviously there to try and reduce the pain somehow. Timpani looked back to her friend, deeply concerned. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mute staring too. He seemed so worried about Lulu, just as she was.

"All right, it's time for lunch. Be back in the classroom by the end of lunch and we'll head off to the Tower." The teacher dismissed them, sitting back at her desk and allowing the students to socialize and head to lunch. Blumiere picked up his bag, accidentally hitting Timpani in the side. The impact made one of his books fall to the floor. Natasha's eyes widened.

"Blumiere…" she muttered, trying to get him to notice which book fell out. Timpani noticed it next.

"I'm sorry, Timpani. I'm kind of in a hurry…" Blumiere said, not hearing Natasha's soft warning. Timpani reached for the book.

"But you dropped this." Timpani pointed out the book before her hand neared it. Blumiere turned around and saw which book it was. His eyes widened.

"Don't touch that!" Blumiere yelled loudly. This caught the attention of Chunk, Mimi, and Damien. Natasha bit her lip and Timpani froze in her place. Blumiere rushed over to the book and picked it up. It was a brown book, the design of a diamond over the front and back cover. A purple gem was placed in the middle of the front cover.

"S-sorry…" Timpani muttered. Blumiere realized what he did and softened his look of fear.

"No, I'm sorry. It's just that this book is really important to me. Without it, I could never get any of my really important work done." Blumiere explained.

"Oh, okay." Timpani said, glad that it had nothing to do with her. Natasha let out a sigh of relief, while Chunk glared at Timpani. Blumiere waved to Timpani before walking out of the classroom, his book in hand. Natasha averted her gaze at Blumiere's friendly act, obviously trying to ignore it. This made Chunk approach Timpani.

"Ya best better stay away from 'im, lass." Chunk said to Timpani. "Yer gonna regret it."

"What?" Timpani asked, wondering if this had to do with that book that he refused for her to pick up.

"You're not Blumi's type, hunny." Mimi joined in. This made Timpani's face turn scarlet red. "I don't think he likes the anti-social chicks like you."

"Hey!" an unexpected ally jumped up. It was Burly. "What makes you think she wants that Blumiere dork as her boyfriend? Knock it off!" Burly snarled.

"'Oy! Keep outta things, ya stinkin' loser!" Chunk yelled back. "'Tis an issue with 'er and Blumi're only!" Chunk made his point.

"Then why are you butting in?" Lulu pointed out. Chunk realized what he said, and Mimi rolled her eyes.

"Chunk, you really are stupid." Mimi complained, storming out of the classroom. Chunk sighed, turning back to Natasha.

"Ya all right, lassy?" Chunk asked her. Natasha nodded slowly.

"I'll be fine. Let's just get some lunch, 'K?" Natasha asked. Chunk followed her out of the room. Timpani turned to Burly, surprised.

"Thanks…but why?" Timpani asked, wondering why Burly of all people would defend her.

"You have no backbone. Grow one, shrimp!" Burly's comeback carried no real spite. He rushed out of the classroom, leaving Peach to give her the real answer.

"You're his friend now. He'll want to make sure that you aren't hurt by people like that." Peach explained. Timpani smiled.

"I'm glad I'm not his enemy." Timpani said, laughing nervously.

"How amusing." Damien clapped at the sight of Burly defending Timpani. "I applaud him, yet he is not here for an encore. How displeasing." Damien said, walking toward the door. He looked back at Lulu.

"At the Flipside Tower, I want to tell you something…" he caught Timpani and Mute moving in toward him. "…Alone. None of your little party can come with you."

Mute glared. There was something wrong with this boy. Timpani felt the wave of nervous emotion in her gut. Butterflies were swarming there, making her face turn a little pale. That Damien was making her worry, especially in Lulu's state. He left the room, leaving the Heroes and Lulu to themselves.

"Why would he want to see you, Lulu?" Peach asked curiously. Lulu sighed and shook her head.

"I really don't—" she let out a loud cough, her eyes clamping shut as the horrible sound croaked through her mouth. "I really don't know." Lulu answered, unsure of his motives. She wandered toward the exit of the classroom, turning to see the worried look on Timpani's face.

"I'll be fine! Don't worry, Timpani." Lulu said, smiling and giving her a thumb's up. She eyed everyone in the room before turning back to Timpani. "It's just a headache after all…" Lulu explained.

'_Headaches don't make you cough, smart one._' Timpani thought, sighing. "Yeah, just…take it easy when we go to Flipside Tower." Timpani said, spotting Mute out of the corner of her eye. Lulu nodded.

"It's not like we're going to be climbing any stairs or play dodge ball." Lulu joked. "I need some food, though." She stated.

'_At least she still has her appetite. That's a relief._' Timpani said, smiling. Mute still looked concerned. Peach placed a hand on her best friend's shoulder.

"Let's go get something to eat, Mute." Peach told him. Mute nodded slowly, still keeping his eye on Lulu as he walked out with Peach. Burly followed, glaring at the departing Mute and Peach. Lulu walked towards the door, placing a hand on the nearby wall.

"Timpani…" she muttered. Timpani looked up at her friend.

"What?" Timpani asked, suddenly noticing that her voice was cracking. She was not okay.

"I have to be strong for everyone, so don't tell anyone that I'm still sick. I'm worse than that, actually." Lulu explained. Horror filled Timpani's blue eyes.

"W-what? What's wrong, Lulu? Why is it worse?" Timpani asked, now gravely worried. Lulu held her back from almost running her over.

"Look…" Lulu started. "It's really weird. You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me." Timpani would believe anything at this point. Lulu was surprised at her reaction.

"I went to Saffron's yesterday with Mute, and all of this crap happened. I met the coolest heroine ever, but…something happened to me." Lulu began. "I was unconscious for a long time, but I woke up in my room after I was knocked out, and Mute was there with me." Lulu explained.

Timpani remembered that Mute took her home. So he didn't leave after he put her to bed? How noble of him! Timpani had been thinking about the two of them, but that was unrelated to her story. She resumed focus on Lulu.

"While I was unconscious, I had this nightmare. I was wrapped in white string, and I couldn't feel my body at all. It was all cold and numb, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't escape from it. There was someone in front of me…" Timpani interrupted lulu with her worry.

"Was he a tall man with a white top hat and a white cape?" Timpani asked, wondering if she saw Count Bleck. Lulu shook her head.

"No. It was a jester." Lulu answered.

_A jester?_

'_It must have been Dimentio! But why Dimentio? He's only a minion to Bleck, right?_' Timpani thought, wondering why it was Dimentio that Lulu saw. Lulu continued her story.

"He held out his hand to me, offering me an escape from the strings. He rambled on about how I was going to be a puppet of something that had to do with some other person that I couldn't make out the name of…" Lulu's voice began to get quieter. Obviously this nightmare really scared her. "He also said that the only way I could be free was if I gave into the 'Chaos Heart'…" Lulu said.

'_C-Chaos Heart?!'_ Timpani knew that the event that happened was not by accident. But why was Lulu the one that orb flew to? What was her role in this? "Was that all?" Timpani asked, her voice shaking. Lulu nodded.

"I woke up as I tried to speak and give him an answer. Please, Timpani, don't tell anyone else about this!" Lulu begged, coughing afterwards pitifully. Timpani cringed as her mind fought. She had to tell the other heroes of this, but the promise of her friend was all that Lulu had. "There are people that we both know who will worry far too much for my sake! I'm not worth that, Timpani. I don't want to worry them." Lulu begged her friend. Timpani took in a breath.

"Okay, Lulu. You have my word." Timpani's nervousness softened as she genuinely smiled. Her words were true. She could not break Lulu's trust by telling the other heroes. Although, it made Timpani worry more. What did this mean? Dimentio in her nightmares? Lulu smiled and forced her friend into the death hug that she was so famous for.

"Thank you, Timpani." Her voice was quiet and hoarse. "Now…" her bright and cheery mood returned. "Let's go get some lunch!" Lulu exclaimed. She raced out the door, leaving Timpani to herself.

'_I wonder what Merlon would tell me…_' she thought, staring out of the window. '_Lulu, you can't get yourself into this…_'

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

Blumiere sat near the corner of the cafeteria, glaring at his tray of assorted food. Today's lunch was roasted shroom and peach tart. On the other end of the table, Mimi was rambling on about where she went over the weekend (shopping related), while Chunk tried to get Natasha to talk with him. Damien on the other hand, seemed to be deep in reading a book. No food was in front of the crafty student.

"Damien, what are you planning on doing?" Blumiere asked, glaring at him. Damien looked up from his book.

"Hm hm hm…" Damien chuckled. "Isn't it obvious? _She _is the one who can use the power of the Chaos Heart!"

"Not so loud, Damien! Sheesh!" Mimi heard him and stopped her rambling. "If somebody heard you, especially those Heroes, we'll be found out!" Mimi whispered.

"We don't even know who the heroes are…" Natasha finally spoke up.

"But we'll find th' pesky littl' 'eroes!" Chunk said, grinning. Natasha sighed.

"It's harder than it seems, Chunk." Her gaze went to Blumiere, who had not spoken since he spat something at Damien.

"What do you mean it's hard? Those little children are nothing compared to us, dear Natasha." Damien stated, smirking.

"Blumiere, are you sure about all of this?" Natasha asked quietly, seeing that Damien had begun his own conversation starter with Mimi and Chunk. Blumiere's eyes widened.

"What do you mean, 'are you sure'?" Blumiere asked. Natasha was surprised at his tone.

"Um, well, you know, with everything? Are you having second thoughts…you know…with this and with her and all?" Natasha asked.

"I have told you before, Natasha." Blumiere's voice was harsh and cold. "She is not the one I have been searching for." Blumiere stated. His cold voice was filled with a large element of sadness.

"How do you know?" Natasha asked. "They have the same—"

"Shut up!" Blumiere found himself yelling. Natasha cringed, adjusting her glasses.

"Y-yeah…" Natasha returned to her food, while the other three stared at what had happened. Damien was the only one who was able to smile at this. His fingers drummed on the table as he noticed Lulu and Timpani walk into the cafeteria doorway.

'_There she is now._' Damien thought with a grin. '_Hm hm hmmm…oh, this is perfect._' Damien stood up. Natasha caught what he was doing.

"Damien!" she hissed. He ignored her.

"Oh, Timpani! Do come here for a moment!" Damien waved his hand in the air.

"What the hell?" Lulu asked, hearing Damien's voice from afar. The two girls looked up to see him waving his hand up in the air.

"Uh, I'll be right back." Timpani said, waving to Lulu. "Go find the others. I'll sit there in a moment." Timpani ran over to where Damien was. Blumiere looked up from the table to see Timpani approach. He glared at Damien.

"What are you doing?" he hissed. Damien chuckled.

"This is your chance to check for sure. You know what I'm talking about." Damien winked and sat next to Natasha. "Try not to be so upset, Natasha." He whispered.

"Ya good fer nothin'…" Chunk was ready to punch Damien in the gut, but Blumiere's glare was signal enough for him not to. His glare softened as Timpani arrived before the table.

"What is it, Damien?" Timpani asked.

"I'd like to apologize for Mimi and Chunk before lunch." He said, making the two other students stare in surprise.

"W-what! I am not apologizing to _her_!" Mimi screeched.

"Yes, you are." Damien said without giving her a sharp look or a harsh voice. Chunk groaned as he folded his arms in front of his chest. Timpani stared in confusion.

"Okay…?" Timpani asked. Blumiere stood, picking up his tray. "Blumiere?" Timpani asked, seeing that there was a frown on his face. He quickly looked back at her, his eyes glistening with some emotion that Timpani couldn't exactly tell or read.

"I'll see you later, Timpani. I have to…get ready for the field trip." Blumiere said, walking away to put his tray back in the kitchen. Timpani was left extremely bamboozled. Seeing him leave, Mimi got up and followed in a huff.

'_Did I…do something?_' Timpani asked, feeling her heart drop. Natasha looked over at Timpani.

"Sit down." Natasha said calmly, drumming the seat next to her. Timpani hesitated, but sat down on the other side of Natasha. Damien stood up and closed his book, his smile slightly fading. He walked away from them, motioning for Chunk to follow. Glaring at him, Chunk moved away from the table and followed.

"What am I doing wrong?" Timpani asked weakly, looking at Natasha. Natasha shook her head.

"It doesn't have to do with you." Natasha said. "But…" she adjusted her glasses.

"But…?" Timpani asked.

"Do you worry about us that much? Although you haven't known us for so long?" Natasha asked. Timpani was surprised at her question.

"Well, although it's only been a few days since I've meet everyone, I believe that we're all going to be friends." Timpani said, knowing she was sounding really cliché. She was embarrassed at her own comment.

"What makes you think that so quickly?" Natasha asked. There was a light aura that surrounded this girl, and that's what Natasha saw immediately as she spoke with Timpani.

"I can understand that it's hard to trust others that you don't know so well, but in the end, even if you aren't hanging out with them, you'll still at least learn one more thing about them." Timpani explained. Natasha heard the optimism in her words.

'_I do wonder…_' Natasha thought, her eyes wide. "Timpani…what do you think of Blumiere?" Natasha asked. Timpani's eyes widened.

"Um…Blumiere?" Timpani's voice stuttered. Her cheeks were tinted with a pink shade, which Natasha seemed to catch. "He…he seems very friendly. But he's always distant. Do you get to talk to him a lot?" she asked curiously. Natasha nodded.

"I do. We're good friends." Natasha sounded disappointed. "But, you're right, he's certainly distant." Natasha admitted. Timpani paused, thinking. Why was her heart beating faster than it was before? She had no true explanation for it…except it only happened when she heard _his_ name. She barely knew him, and even so…

"I think he wants to get to know you better, though." Natasha said, staring straight at Timpani. This made her heart skip a beat.

'_What?_' Timpani thought, shocked. "W-what do you mean?" Timpani asked, her voice stuttering. Natasha noticed her nervous voice and smiled.

"That's just what I think, 'K?" Natasha asked, standing up. "Now, if you're going to eat something, do it quickly. Our class trip is in ten minutes." Natasha said, smiling as she saw Timpani's face turn from slightly giddy to nervous again.

"Oh no! I forgot!" Timpani yelled, panicking. Her stomach rumbled loudly and she sobbed.

"Dammit, I forgot to eat…" Timpani whined, rubbing her belly. Natasha held back a laugh, but noticed that she did not touch her own peach tart. She picked it up, handing it to her.

"Here. Take this. Hopefully it'll hold you long enough to the end of the day." Natasha said, taking her now empty tray away. Timpani smiled.

'_Natasha is so sweet._' Timpani thought. "Thanks." She said, a cheerful grin spreading across her face. Natasha did not reply, for she had already left. Timpani nibbled on her tart, sitting down and losing herself in thought.

She forgot that she had to go find Lulu and the others.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

The class was now standing before the elevator to the Flipside Tower. Being a "historic" place in Flipside, there was no entry fee to get in. The teacher, who was ranting on about the large tower's history, led the class. It was made with white stone, a tad more rough than marble. As the teacher led the group onto the elevator, people began to focus once again to what she was saying.

"Now, I will give you one hour to browse around the top of the tower." The teacher explained. "Take this time to really look around at the different doors and possibly some of the older parts of the floor."

"We're spending an hour staring at _doors _and _floors_? Bleh." Burly spat.

"I'm also giving you an hour of free time." The teacher restated. "Consider that, Mr. Burly." She said sharply. Peach giggled. A _ding_ notified that they were finally on the top floor of the tower. Surprisingly, they were the only group here that day.

"I'll be over here if anyone needs me." The teacher wandered off toward the left side of the tower, examining some old marks in the stone floor. The class divided itself up into various groups, each beginning to talk of unrelated things. Timpani, however, was one of the only ones who actually took a look at the doors before doing her own things. She took a glance at the eight doors that lined the tower's wall, each a different color of the rainbow. There was a sign on each door, warning 'DO NOT OPEN'. There was all the temptation to do so, but she had enough self-control not to. She found herself near the right side of the tower, where there was a small ledge that overlooked the third floor of Flipside. Timpani sat down on the ledge, staring off into the yellow sky. She was one who got lost in thought often, but she didn't care. It wasn't like anyone in the class was going to notice right away that she was gone.

That was the half-truth.

Lulu and Mute were nearby the fifth door, which was a light blue shade. Mute was writing notes to Lulu to communicate, but his pencil was extremely close to breaking. He wished he had sharpened it before he came here. There was certainly a lot to say.

_Does Chunk seriously have a thing for Natasha?_

Lulu laughed at his note. "I don't doubt it." She coughed for the sixth time, making Mute's smile disappear. "Mute, you really shouldn't worry all too much." Lulu said, seeing concern all over his face. Mute caught himself and nodded slowly, unsure of whether he could believe her. She was so confident… and he wasn't. He hated that he couldn't be so optimistic like she was.

"How sweet…" came the cheerful, yet strange voice of Damien from behind Mute. Mute jumped and glared at the newcomer. He chuckled, thus making Lulu glare. "I am terribly sorry to break off this heartwarming scene, however I need to have a word with you." Damien said, turning to Lulu.

"Fine." Lulu said sharply. She turned back to Mute, smiling. "I'll be back." She said, waving to him and following Damien off to the right side of the tower. It was a little further towards the center rather than the far right, so Timpani did not catch this scene.

"What is it, Damien?" Lulu asked. Damien smirked.

"Oh, but you know, dear Lulu." Damien said. Lulu stared, confused. "I know about your little nightmare and the event that occurred at Saffron's." Damien said, his voice making Lulu shiver. It was so bone chilling and…_evil._

"H-how do you know about that?" Lulu asked. Damien grabbed Lulu's arms and pulled her close. He whispered into her ear, making her cringe at the wisp of his voice.

"_Because I am the one who gave it to you._" He whispered. Lulu's eyes widened as she pushed him away.

"W-what are you talking about? You're a student in my class! An ordinary kid with weird looking eyes!" Lulu found herself exclaiming. "Why would you…what are you…?!" Lulu could not find a way to react to this. Damien laughed cruelly.

"Poor, poor Lulu. You thought you were normal, too. We all must wake up from dreams sometime, right?" Damien asked. "You are living in a fantasy, Lulu. A beautiful girl like yourself doesn't have to be fooled any longer. That nightmare is the truth. You are only a puppet, only doing what you're told to. At least, that's what it will be if you do not take my advice now." Damien said. Lulu stepped back.

"You're him, aren't you? That jester from my dream!" Lulu shouted.

"Shhh, shhh…" Damien neared her, trying to calm her down. "No need to alert anyone else. They'd just _worry_." Damien mocked her from before. Lulu glared.

"This is different!" Lulu yelled. Suddenly, a cough erupted from her throat. She covered her mouth with her arm, only to feel something splatter upon it. She opened her eyes to see a black liquid on her wrist.

"Do you think that sickness is ordinary? Do you think _you _are ordinary?" Damien asked. "My dear, you are one of us."

"One of _you_? Who are you?" Lulu asked, looking around to see if anyone was near. She could see Mimi, Chunk, and Natasha out of the corner of her eye. Did they see this happening? However, that thought was soon abandoned. Her eyes immediately looked away from them and back at Damien.

However, he was no longer the human student she knew him as.

His pale face was soon replaced with the monochrome mask that the jester in her nightmares wore, along with his pink and purple suit. Although the mask seemed to cover most of his face, those horrifying yellow eyes poked through. And his twisted, evil smirk was also visible from the top.

"I am the one who will set you free."

Lulu screamed.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

There were no clouds in Flipside. There was probably no such thing as a cloud in this little place. Yet, it was still good to look up at the sky and see shapes somewhere within. Was that why Timpani looked at it so much? No, it was her wandering thoughts. Through her glasses, she peered at the yellow sky without glancing back. Her brown hair moved in the wind slowly, only to whip in her face at occasional times.

"Did something catch your eye?"

That voice snapped her out of her dream world. Timpani turned her eyes to see Blumiere sitting beside her. She looked away, her face slightly pink.

"H-hey." She was able to say something, at least. She realized that that wasn't the answer he was looking for. "No, I was just…in deep thought." She looked back at him.

"Is that so?" Blumiere asked. "What are you thinking about?" he knew that it was probably personal, but maybe there wouldn't be too much harm in asking. Timpani paused.

"Er, it's not important." She lied. There was a small pause between the two of them. Timpani wished she could say something, but every possibility in her mind sounded so stupid to her.

"Have you ever been to this place before?" she found herself trying to start a conversation. Timpani slapped herself inside. That was probably the worst conversation starter of all. Blumiere shook his head.

"Never." He admitted. "But now that I'm here, I really like it." He said, giving Timpani a small smile. Timpani nodded.

"Y-yeah. It's a cool sight, right?" Timpani smiled back. '_Okay, so that wasn't a bad move…_'

"Timpani, I notice that you care a lot for your friends." Blumiere stated. Timpani turned her head to the side to look at him.

"Um, thanks…?" Timpani wasn't sure what to feel for that one. Blumiere was going somewhere with this, though. She realized that soon.

"I see that you're really worried about Lulu and all that. But, maybe you should be a little more concerned about yourself." Blumiere told her.

"But…" Timpani started. "She's my best friend! Why shouldn't I worry about her! Even if she wasn't, anyone with a good heart has every right to be worried about when they're hurt!" Timpani spoke freely, which made her cheeks turn red with both embarrassment and the fact that Blumiere seemed to react to her statement. His brown eyes were suddenly wide, as if she'd hit a soft spot in his mind.

'_I've heard that before…that phrase…that exact phrase. That was what __**she**__ told me when she first found me._' Blumiere's thoughts were a mess, but this was the most clear in his mind.

"B-Blumiere?" Timpani asked after a minute of silence. His eyes narrowed as he calmed down.

"No, you're right. But, if you worry too much, you'll end up hurting yourself. And then…people will worry about you." Blumiere explained.  
"And that's fine too." Timpani said, smiling. "Worry is a sign that people care so much about you." Timpani said. There was another pause, but she suddenly felt her hand warm up. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that Blumiere's hand was on top of hers. Yet, at glancing toward him, she saw that he didn't notice. Or, at least he acted that way. Suddenly, she lost herself. She was lost in thought again. With his hand on hers, it triggered something in her own head.

'_Wait. Why does this feel…nostalgic? Why do I feel like I know him so well? Blumiere…who are you?_'

"AAHHHH!!"

That familiar scream broke her thoughts. Timpani turned around and her hand slipped out from underneath Blumiere's.

"Lulu!" Timpani yelled, looking around. Suddenly, she saw her. Lulu was standing before none other than Dimentio. "No…not now!" Timpani yelled. '_But I can't transform here! My class is here!_' Timpani thought, cursing inside her head. She eyed Blumiere out of the corner of her eye, stepping in front of him. Mute heard the scream too, along with Peach and Burly, who turned their heads to see what was going on.

'_No matter what, no matter how weak I may be in this form, I've got to help her!_' Timpani yelled in her mind, preparing to charge forward. She broke into a run, only to find something had held her back. A hand had grabbed her arm. It was Blumiere.

"Don't!" He yelled.

"I have to! She's in danger!" Timpani argued.

"What can you do?" Blumiere asked.

"Stop him momentarily! Let GO!" Timpani yelled, breaking free of Blumiere's grip and running toward Dimentio and Lulu. She charged at Dimentio, leaping onto his back. Dimentio let out a yell as Timpani tackled him to the stone ground.

"Timpani!" Lulu yelled, scared for her friend's life now. Dimentio charged up energy in his free hand, releasing a star of darkness that he released behind him and at Timpani. It was a direct hit, and Timpani was thrown into the light blue door on the tower wall.

"TIMPANI!" a chorus of voices sounded her name, which included Lulu, Peach, and Burly. Blumiere stood in horror, watching as she made a violent impact into the door.

"Pitiful humans…" Dimentio muttered. He turned to see Blumiere and his smile faded. "Oh my, did I do something wrong?" Dimentio asked, seeing his sharp glare. Timpani groaned, struggling to get up.

"Lulu…run…quickly…" Timpani muttered. Lulu eyed the elevator, taking one step toward it. Dimentio caught her.

"Not so fast." He said. He snapped his fingers and a cube of strange energy formed around Lulu.

"LULU!" Timpani tried to support herself and rush to save her friend, but it was far too late. Within the box that Lulu was trapped in, she was gone in the next second.

"Timpani, help me!"

That was the last of her friend that she heard. Timpani's eyes were wide with fear as tears began to stream down her pale face.

"No…" Timpani fell to her knees. The bitter sound of Dimentio's laugh filled her ears.

"Oh, I am so sorry." Dimentio said sarcastically, smiling. "Did I…ACK!"

He was interrupted by the forceful strike of a hammer. It was Mario! His sharp glare was drilling straight into his monochrome mask and deep into his yellow eyes. He could not speak, but damn, he was mad.

"Owwww…wasn't anyone taught that surprise attacks were never fair?" Dimentio asked, turning around to see the red-capped hero. Mario prepared for another attack with his hammer. "Tsk tsk, little one. I do believe that you need to be taught a lesson." Dimentio snapped his fingers once again, the same box of energy forming around him.

"Don't!" Timpani yelled. Too late. Mario had disappeared, just like Lulu did.

"Hmmm…this little pocket between dimensions is terrible to be in." Dimentio commented. "I can't decide where I send the poor boy. Oh well, no matter where he ended up, I'm sure he'll die off." Dimentio said, laughing.

"You bastard!" Timpani yelled, rushing at Dimentio again. Dimentio held up his hand and released another dark star at her. She held out her arms to try and defend herself, but she suddenly felt no pain. A shadow appeared in front of her and took the blow.

Blumiere.

"BLUMIERE!" Timpani yelled, realizing what he did. He took the blow for her.

"You're an innocent person…you don't need to be caught up in this…" he muttered. Mimi and Chunk watched from afar, shocked at the sight was happening.

"You didn't have to…" Timpani said, catching him as he fell to his knees.

"I couldn't protect someone a long time ago. It's only fair that I protect you in her place…" Blumiere explained.

"What are you talking about?" Timpani asked. Dimentio chuckled.

"How so very sweet and noble!" Dimentio mocked. "I never knew that you had such a soft side…" he said, looking at Blumiere.

"Keep her out of this!" Blumiere yelled.

"Such bold words for a _human boy_." Dimentio hissed. Blumiere glared daggers at Dimentio, suddenly wrapping his arms around Timpani's waist and pulling her close.

"Attack her again, and you'll attack me too!" Blumiere yelled. Timpani could not believe what was going on. He was _defending_ her!

"Tsk…your death wish." Dimentio said, preparing another attack.

"PINK PURE KISS!" a wave of pink light sailed through the sky and impacted at Dimentio's left hand. Peach appeared, standing with Bowser right behind where Dimentio was.

"Grrr…" Dimentio groaned as he shook his hand to try and null the pain momentarily.

"You're gonna burn! FIERY WRATH!" Bowser blew flames at the jester, which did nothing. Dimentio was able to float above the flames and shoot another dark star at Bowser. His tough body was able to withstand most of the damage, but he was still hurt. "Give up now, ya stupid clown!" Bowser yelled.

"Oh please, the show has only begun!" Dimentio said, smirking. He snapped his fingers twice, two blocks forming around Bowser and Peach.

"Not them too!" Timpani yelled, realizing what was going on. She tried to wiggle free from Blumiere's defensive hold, but he wouldn't let go. "Peach! Bowser!" Timpani yelled, knowing what would happen to them. They disappeared in a matter of seconds. "NOOO!" Timpani screamed, weeping.

"It's so sad, I know. But with parting comes such sorrow." Dimentio said, raising his hand up toward the direction of Blumiere and Timpani.

"Any last words for this fair, young maiden, human boy?" Dimentio asked. Blumiere looked at Timpani, whose face was stained with tears.

'_What am I doing? She…she is not who I think she is, so why do I persist? She is a human, and I…I am not._' Blumiere let go of Timpani.

"Ah ha ha…" Dimentio sent a strong force of pressure toward the fifth door, making it swing open. Timpani was standing directly in front of the door, the pressure pushing her in toward it. She let a scream as she fell through the door's opening, falling into darkness.

"TIMPANI!" Blumiere yelled, rushing toward the door. Dimentio laughed.

"Anyone who defies me or my cause shall be sent away!" Dimentio said, turning toward the remaining students. Blumiere stared at the light blue door, which had slammed shut after Timpani fell through. He stepped toward it, preparing to open the door.

"Wait!" the voice came from Natasha. "What are you doing?" she asked. Blumiere turned toward her.

"Ya better not be goin' to save th' frail lass! She ain't worth yer time!" Chunk yelled.

"Silence!" Blumiere yelled. "Do not question Bleck." Blumiere glared at Chunk and opened the door. Natasha quickly looked at Dimentio, who was not reacting to this. Blumiere leapt into the darkness, following Timpani into the dimension she was sent to.

_Timpani was spiraling away from Flipside…_

_Far, far away from her home…_

**Next time!**

_The Void in this new dimension is bigger than the one in Flipside! What does that mean? I'm trapped in a strange dimension and I can't escape! My rod is missing and there's no one here to help me! Wait…Blumiere? What are you doing here? And where is Lulu? I need to find her before something bad happens! No, something bad is already happening. I've run into a new enemy and soon this dimension will cease to exist! _

Coming soon…

Episode Five: The End of a World?! The Mysterious Ms. L


	5. Episode Five

**(Author's Notes: Yay, long chapter. This one took me a little longer to write, but hey, as long as it's done, right? So much happens in this chapter, and then all of those events somehow sort of end in this chapter. Soooo…I really hope you like it! I'd just like to say that Dimentio is a nasty, evil villain. And I love him for it! –grin- ) **

**F L I P . / . F L O P**

_When he touched my hand…when he held me close to protect me…that same feeling went through my head and heart…_

"Blumiere, look at the stars!"

_I feel like I've meet him before…_

"There's a tradition in my village that we would wish on them!"

_Like I knew him not so long ago…_

"What did you wish for?"

_That…I…_

"**That we would find a place where we could be together**."

**Episode Five: The End of a World?! The Mysterious Ms. L**

"Ugh…dammit, what happened?"

The tall, green girl awoke in the middle of a deep, dark chamber. The cold, black floor seemed to be traced with a few white lines that were able to stand out in the inky corridor. The surface that she was laying on was not comfortable at all. It was hard, freezing, and had no back support. She could spot that her cap had fallen off in front of her, showing off her tomboyish hairstyle to whoever was in this empty chamber. It took her a few seconds to really get a hold of what was going on.

"Where am I?" she asked, picking up her cap and supporting herself up. She looked around, seeing nothing but the white lines that indicated how large and wide the room was. She was alone, so she assumed. She could not see any other figure as far as the room went. Her blue-green eyes were full of fear, and she shook in her place.

"T-T-Timpani? M-Mute? P-Peach? Is anyone there?" she asked, her eyes darting around the room. It was official. She was truly alone. She let out a deep exhale, turning her gaze ahead of her. A few feet in front of her was a door. It was clear that it was her only way out of this place. She turned behind her to see nothing but wall and white lines. She turned back to the door. She walked toward it, extending a hand to open it. However, her mind rebelled.

'_Wait! It may not be smart to wander this place…_' her mind reminded her. She thought about it before truly making up her mind.

"It doesn't matter. I've got to get out of here." She told herself, opening the door and rushing out into the next room.

This next room was much larger, and had several pillars lining through the entire corridor. No one seemed to be in this room either, so she tried to find another door that would lead her to the exit. It was tough, considering the fact that the only light she had were the white lines that traveled throughout this place. She finally found another door at the other end of the room, where she quickly went through and found herself at the top of a large staircase.

"Oh man, I wonder how long it's going to take me to get out of here…" she muttered to herself quietly, starting to move down the stairs. As she neared the bottom of the stairs, she noticed that she was not alone in this place. A familiar, red cap caught her attention. She smiled, for it was someone she knew.

"Mute! Thank God you're here!" Lulu exclaimed, happy to see that her friend had come to save her from this place. Mute nodded, smiling and giving her a thumb's up.

"C'mon, we need to get out of this place before something really bad happens!" Lulu said, running toward the door right behind him. Mute shook his head. Lulu was confused.

"Why not?" Lulu asked. Mute pointed to something at the top of the stairs. The door that she walked through was gone. Lulu's eyes widened.

"Does that mean as soon as I walk through, I can't go back?" Lulu asked. Mute nodded. Lulu took in a breath. "Well, it's all for the better!" Lulu said, smiling. "As soon as we get out of here, there's no reason to go back!" Lulu told him, walking through the door. Mute followed as they came to another long, black chamber. Black flames were lit, shedding something that resembled light. At least Lulu was able to see.

"Okay…now where is the exit?" Lulu asked, walking ahead of Mute. She ran down the hallway, past several flames and strange designs on the castle wall. As she finally made it to the end of the hallway, there was no door.

"What?! Where's the way out?" Lulu asked, examining the wall that was at the end of the hall. Suddenly, she felt a forceful impact blow into her back. A punch. She fell to her knees, a bruise developing on her back. She turned to see Mute. "Mute! Why…why did you do that?" Lulu asked. Mute smirked, a loud and annoying laugh streaming through his vocal chords.

'_That's not Mute…_' Lulu thought, her eyes wide. "Who are you?" Lulu asked, glaring at "Mute".

In a flash, someone that Lulu actually knew replaced Mute. Her green pigtails and non-school uniform were a dead giveaway.

"Mimi?!" Lulu asked. "B-but…how?" she wondered how her spoiled classmate was able to take on the shape of her friend.

"Tee hee! Oh, you are so gullible, Lu!" Mimi said joyfully. "I wish everyone was like you! Then my job would be so much easier!" Mimi exclaimed.

"Who…what are you?" Lulu asked, suddenly feeling a cough rise up her throat. She erupted a loud cough, the same black liquid falling from her lips and onto the floor.

"Ewww…I think I should be asking that one." Mimi said, suddenly disgusted by her sickness. "Where is Nastasia? She's late!" Mimi complained, folding her arms in front of her chest.

"Nastasia?" Lulu asked. Mimi laughed.

"Oh, right. I should say 'where is Natasha'?" Mimi used her human name. Lulu backed away into the wall.

"What are you going to do?" Lulu asked, shaking.

"Oh, it's not what I'm going to do…" Mimi said. Her voice made Lulu shiver. It sounded so determined to do her in right away. "You were brought here for all the better reason, Lu." Mimi said, smirking. Right behind Mimi, Nastasia appeared.

"Yeah, sorry I'm late." Nastasia said, adjusting her glasses. "Is she here?" Nastasia looked over to see Lulu.

"Right here, Nassy!" Mimi said, smiling. Lulu really wished she could escape this. Fear crawled up her spine and shook her body. Nastasia moved in front of Mimi.

"Just don't squirm and it'll all be easier…" Nastasia said, placing a finger on the frame of her glasses as if to push them back. Lulu shook her head.

"Are you going to kill me? Tell me at least that! And tell me why!" Lulu yelled, her eyes tearing up.

"Um, no. We're not gonna kill you…if you behave." Nastasia said. "Mimi, hold her down." Nastasia commanded. Mimi held out her hand, a red gem forming in her palm. It was very sharp, making Lulu cringe. Mimi fired it, and the gem landed and drilled right near Lulu's arm. It caught the cloth of her uniform and trapped one arm against the wall. She repeated this for her other arm and her legs.

"W-W-What…" Lulu's voice shook. What were they going to do to her?

"Don't ask questions, 'K? It'll all become clear." Nastasia then pushed her glasses back, a red glare coming out from the glass. A wave of hypnotic energy fell on top of Lulu, surrounding her.

Her scream filled the castle, but it was soon silenced in a matter of seconds.

It was dead silent as Lulu's body stopped attempting to escape from her trap.

Everything was being put into motion.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

'_Mmm…where am I?_'

Timpani regained consciousness on a dirty ground, the sparkle of green and blue gems catching her eye as she tried to remember what had happened. Her memories flied through her mind quickly. Dimentio tried to capture Lulu…and he succeeded. He captured Mario, Bowser, and Peach too…or made them disappear. The vivid memory of Blumiere defending her was also in there, allowing herself to wake up completely. It almost seemed like a full-on embrace, but it was only to ensure that she would not be struck by Dimentio's attack. Suddenly, her eyes widened. She had a full idea of what had happened to her and where she was.

"This isn't Flipside…"

There was no yellow sky or stone tower. In fact, there was no way to tell what was going on in the sky! She seemed to be in a cave where gems poked out of the dirt areas of the walls. Dust covered the previously clear lenses of her glasses, making it almost impossible to see every detail. She assumed she must have been in a mine of some kind, but that was all she knew.

"Hey, the visitor's awake!" came a voice from behind her. Timpani let out a yell and whipped around. Shaking, she tried to clean off the lenses of her glasses to see what had called out to her. As she got them as clean as they could be, her eyes widened. Two _flowers_ had just spoken to her. _Flowers._

"Are you all right? You crash landed right outside our mines, and you certainly don't look like one of the Cragnons." One of the flowers stated.

"W-Where…what…who…" Timpani stuttered. She had to get a clear idea of what was going on!

"I think her brain got fried or something." The second flower whispered. "She seems a little out of it."

"Shut up, man. She'll hear you." The first hissed. "King Croacus told us to keep a good eye on her." He said, soon turning back to Timpani.

"Where am I?" Timpani was finally able to ask a clear question.

"You're in the Floro Sapien Mines." The first answered.

"Our lovely home in a world in despair." The second said poetically, trying to sound dramatic. Timpani needed to know basics before she got into the details.

"Floro Sapien?" Timpani asked.

"We are the Floro Sapiens." Both flowers said at the same time. "Lead under the rule of the valiant and intelligent King Croacus, we shall prevail over the Cragnons who try and pollute our very essence of life!" the second exclaimed.

"What brings you to our mine? Do you want to help them or us? You seem like an intelligent and kind-hearted girl, so please help us in our time of need!" the first mused, holding the two leaves that Timpani assumed were his hands out to her as if to beg.

"Um, well, you see…I'm kind of in a hurry. I need to save a friend of mine." Timpani explained. "Maybe you've seen her! She's a human girl like me and she's tall! She has a green cap and wearing a green version of my uniform!" she motioned to her own uniform. The two Floro Sapiens stared at each other in confusion.

"Sorry, we haven't seen any other species like you around here." The second explained. "You're the first of your kind to land nearby the mines. You just kind of…fell out of the sky. We were lucky to find you, since you seemed badly injured." The first told her.

'_They seem so kind…_' Timpani thought, looking around the mine. She assumed that they were digging for the gems that were poking out of the dirt walls.

"Miss, we have a favor to ask of you." The second spoke up. Timpani turned her attention back to the two Floro Sapiens.

"Please, come with us to speak with King Croacus." The first requested. "He has been so concerned about you ever since we presented you to him."

"Wait, what?" Timpani suddenly realized that something was going on. She suddenly felt that her outfit was a lot…lighter. She reached her hands into her pocket and her eyes widened. "My rod!" she exclaimed. "My rod is missing!" the two Floro Sapiens exchanged worried looks.

"Our king requested that we examined you to see if you were dangerous to our species." Timpani's face turned red.

"And what the hell does 'examined' mean?!" Timpani asked, glaring at them.

"Please, just come with us." The second Floro Sapien said, backing away at her harsh tone. They both began to move toward a nearby path in the dirt that lead to a large, white door in the middle of the wall. Timpani sighed.

'_This might be the only way…_' Timpani thought in defeat, allowing herself to follow the two Floro Sapiens into the door. Within, there was a small corridor where a giant gate was in the middle between the white door they walked in from and a large, green door.

"Hang on one second." The first Floro said, moving through the gate. It analyzed him, showing a green check mark on the side of the gate as he passed through it. He arrived at a control panel on the other side, punching in a code. The gate seemed to deactivate as he finally placed in the code.

"Okay, you can come through." He signaled for her to go through the gate. Timpani walked through. Nothing happened, and she arrived on the other side. The second Floro Sapien followed, soon standing next to the first.

"King Croacus should be straight through that door. Just go on through." The second told her.

"Aren't you coming with me?" Timpani asked.

"Errr…well, the king requested that you go _alone_." The first said. "So…happy travels!" the both exclaimed, opening the door for her. Carefully, Timpani wandered in.

They slammed the door behind her, leaving her in a completely dark room. Timpani tried to adjust her sight to where she was, but it was far too late. Something prickly and sharp had wrapped around her exposed leg and pulled her into the air.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

"What the Crag? What is this?"

Three, large men stood over the unconscious bodies of Mute, Peach, and Burly. From when Dimentio sent them away, they lost their transformation and regained their human forms. The three men were all very strong, yet they seemed to be lacking the intelligence to figure out what to do with these knocked out teenagers.

"I've never seen anything like this, brah." One said, turning to the other two with concern on his face. "Should we go tell chef Cragnon?"

"Good idea, brah. Crag's got good ideas." the next one said, nodding.

"Big Rock Who Watches probably sent them! Oh, they must be the ones who can save Cragnons from the Floro Sapiens!" the third cheered. At the sound of their voice, Peach's eyes blinked open. She placed her hand on her shoulder, where there was a small bruise.

"Ow…what happened?" Peach asked.

"They speak! Ya all right, brah?" asked one of the men. Peach looked up, seeing the three men. She let out a scream, scared of suddenly seeing strange people before her. The scream was able to wake up Mute and Burly, who reacted to her scream.

"Peach, are you okay? If anyone made you scared, I'll kick their ass!" Burly roared. He then saw the three men before him. "Are you the ones who scared her? All right, you're going to get a nice beating courtesy of Burly!" Burly yelled. Mute shook his head violently, making Burly turn his head.

"No…it's my fault." Peach said, turning to the men. "I was only startled, Burly. Don't worry. Who are you?" she asked the men curiously.

"We are Cragnon." All three said together.

"Cragnon tribe in danger." One stated. "Cragnon being captured by Floro Sapiens. Floro Sapiens use Cragnon for mine work. Cragnon have no hope for survival."

"Cut the crap, we didn't come here to solve any personal problems." Burly spat, glaring at the Cragnon men.

"Burly, don't be so mean." Peach told him, trying to calm him down. "We're not in Flipside anymore, that's all we know." Peach recapped. Burly groaned.

"I told you we shouldn't have tried to stop that Dimen-whatever he's called!" Burly complained.

"Lulu was in danger, Burly! And Mute had disappeared too! It's a miracle that he ended up with us!" Peach argued.

"Hmph. If only it had just been the two of us…" Burly hissed under his breath. Mute smiled at Peach, relieved that she was okay.

"Oh Mute, I hope Timpani and Lulu are all right." Peach said softly, clasping her hands together into a small prayer. Mute nodded. Burly scoffed.

"Are you looking for friends?" asked one of the Cragnon men. "We hear word from Cragnon brah nearby Floro mine that strange girl taken into their mine." Another Cragnon explained.

"What did she look like?" Peach asked. The Cragnon men took a moment to think of what their comrade had told them.

"The patch her head was brown and long, and she wore pieces of clear stone over her eyes." One of the Cragnon explained.

"Timpani! It must be Timpani!" Peach exclaimed, knowing that Timpani had brunette hair and glasses.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get a freaking move on!" Burly yelled. Mute was happy to hear that Timpani was safe and sound, but he was extremely concerned for the whereabouts of Lulu. With averting his sight away from his two teammates, he caught something in the sky that he should have seen sooner. His eyes widened and he tugged Peach's sleeve.

"What is it, Mute?" Peach asked, seeing that he was frightened out of his will. He pointed toward the sky, in which Peach and Burly turned to. Their eyes widened as well.

"Does strange human know what that is?" asked one of the Cragnon men.

"The Void…it's huge…" Peach's eyes were filled with utter fear. '_It's so much larger than it was in Flipside! What does that mean?_' she thought.

"Dammit, doesn't that mean that this world's almost over?" Burly asked, turning to both Mute and Peach. Peach slowly nodded.

"With the size that it's at now, there probably isn't that much time." Peach explained. Mute agreed with a small nod. He wrote a note in his notepad quickly.

_We should find Timpani and make sure that we get out of here. If Lulu is here, we need to save her too._

Burly grunted. "Whatever. We'll save them both." he snorted.

"Let's get a move on! Where are those mines?" Peach turned to the Cragnon men.

"You want to go there?" one of them asked in disbelief. "Mines dangerous!"

"Floro Sapiens are not friendly. They take interest in human girl. They take her to their king, who like only shiny things." Another Cragnon explained.

"We can take these Floro things down." Burly said, smirking. "I'll toast them! Roast them! They'll be a picnic of fried Floros!" Burly bragged. Mute was already on the path, heading away from the group. He desperately wanted to save his friends, but Peach was able to keep an eye on him so he didn't move too far.

"You confident boy. We put faith in you. Defeat those Floro Sapiens!" all three cheered. Burly grinned.

"So, what's the best way to the mines?" Peach asked.

"Down the path, brah. Keep going until you reach crooked hill. Tunnel shall be seen when you climb to the top."

Without another word, the three Heroes began to travel down the path and to the mines where Timpani was held.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

A ruby stain fell to the ground, leaking from Timpani's pale leg. Thorns wrapped around her entire body, the sharp needles piercing her fragile skin. She was trapped in a tight bind, thorns cutting through her skin and allowing blood to escape her body. It hurt throughout her arms and legs, where skin was showing. What scared her even more was the fact of what the vine was connected to. The room that was once dark was now lit with several torches that seemed to turn on after she walked into the room. The vines lined the floor and connected to the largest flower she had ever seen.

"Such a beautiful young lady!" the flower mused, opening the petals that shielded his face before. Pink petals fell to the ground, soon to only be splattered by Timpani's crimson blood that fell from the wounds created by his thorns. The face of the flower almost made Timpani scream. "Yet, there is none that match the beauty of myself; King Croacus the Third!" he introduced himself. "Do tell, fair maiden, are you an angel? You fell from the sky so suddenly in a time of crisis!" he explained.

"L-let me go…" Timpani was able to speak through the pain. The vines tightened around her. Was this why he captured her? To just imprison her like she was one of his treasures? It made her stomach turn. She _hated _the feeling of thorns poking through wounds that were already carved open. She hated the feeling of being suffocated at the same time, and no one was coming to help.

"I do not plan to unless you answer my questions." The king said sharply.

"W-where i-is my rod?" Timpani asked. Croacus' grip on her loosened slightly. She let out a breath of relief.

"A beautiful talisman like that has no reason to be in the hands of anyone else besides mine." Croacus explained. "Thus, it belongs to me."

'_So __**he**__ has my rod!' _Timpani thought.

"You will not be getting it back anytime soon, nor will you be escaping from my thorny grasp! All beautiful things will belong to me, especially the gems that lay in the mines…" King Croacus said with a smirk. The grip of the thorns tightened. Tears streamed from her eyes as the pain became worse. The same thorns sliced into her already open wounds, more blood trailing onto the floor.

"Aaahh…" Timpani cringed in pain, almost ready to pass out. Only the shimmer of something before her kept her eyes open. The green light of hope shimmered in front of her blue eyes.

"Do you like it?" King Croacus asked. It was a Pure Heart. The fourth Pure Heart. "It's my most beloved treasure! This heart shaped gem is green and beautiful…just like me!" King Croacus exclaimed. Timpani stared at the Pure Heart, trying to wiggle her arms free from the thorns. She let out a yell as the thorns dug deeper into her skin.

"You will suffer if you attempt escape." The king told her. "Save yourself and do not resist."

Timpani whimpered, tears on the floor mixing with her blood. What was going to happen to her now? Was her game going to end because of blood loss? Would this king spare her life? She felt so weak without the power of her rod. She could hear the musing of the flower king in front of her, but it didn't make sense. It was all mumbles and she then realized that she was extremely close to passing out. She wasn't going to survive this, was she?

'_I'm sorry I couldn't do anything more to get the Pure Hearts. I suck at being a heroine, right?_' Timpani thought, hope flooding away from her mind. The pain was allowing herself to give in, but there was still light within her. She wasn't going to give up that easily. '_No, this is __**not **__the time to give up! No matter how painful it is right now, I can get myself out of this!_' Timpani had a single moment to catch the hope before it flew away for good. '_You still have the universe to save, and only you can gather the people who can do that! The fourth Hero is still out there!_'

"You resist?" King Croacus noticed her behavior as she began to squirm again in the thorns. "Stop, you'll only harm yourself further." He repeated. "There is no reason to why you should keep trying to get out of my reach." King Croacus smirked and looked toward the ceiling of the large chamber. "Ah, soon I will have the perfect kingdom..."

"Y-you…" Timpani uttered.

"You speak, fine maiden. Do tell me what is on your weakening mind." King Croacus detected the fact that her voice had almost no energy to it. It was struggling to come out of her throat.

"Y-You never told me why…why I am here in your grasp…" Timpani barely had enough to say these words, for they were only spoken in a bare whisper. She cringed as the thorns dug deeper into her wounds. Obviously this was a punishment for asking.

"Silence. You shall be used for me and only—"

Suddenly, there was another blackout in the room. The king of flowers was suddenly confused as the thorns began to loosen on the grip. Timpani sighed with relief at the lessening of pain.

"What is going on? I demand you show yourself!" King Croacus roared, glaring into the bleak dark of the room. There was silence, and no one seemed to show themselves. Yet, it still remained dark. Timpani's eyes darted around the room, expecting for something to happen. Was this thing going to attack her? Or perhaps the king? Or maybe it was merely an electrical malfunction. That question was answered quickly.

"GAAAH!!" King Croacus yelled, the sound of one of his vines slicing away from his stem and crashing to the ground. A sound that made Tmpani cringe suddenly sounded in the room, and another one of the king's vines fell to the ground. "Who is there? Who dares to attack me?!" he roared, glaring into the room. The same sound echoed again and the vine that held Timpani was cut off. Timpani screamed as she fell, but she landed in something soft.

The arms of another person.

"Are you okay?" a familiar voice asked. Timpani thought she'd never hear this voice again. She really hoped that the blood leaking from her wounds wouldn't gross him out, but she had the least amount of concern for that.

"Blumiere!" her weakened voice seemed to regain some energy, but it still cracked as she tried to say his name loudly. "How…?" she wondered how he was able to follow her.

"I'll explain later." He said, his tone serious. "We need to get out of here." The lights flipped back on, and King Croacus was not pleased with what had happened.

"Unhand my treasure, you filthy piece of trash!" he yelled, glaring at him.

"You can put me down, Blumiere…" Timpani told him, trying to lessen the weight so he was able to run. His eyes widened as he saw all of the open wounds on her body from the thorns.

"T-Timpani, your body…" his voice shook.

"I'll be fine, we need to get out of here!" Timpani exclaimed. King Croacus raised his only remaining vine into the air and thrust it down at the two. Blumiere attempted to run with Timpani in his arms, but it proved to be extremely difficult. He raced toward the door, kicking it open with his left leg. The glass that made up the door shattered into several pieces, and he raced out.

"Attention all Floro Sapiens!" King Croacus yelled into the ceiling, drilling his remaining vine into the earth. "Track down that blue-haired boy and my treasure! Show him no mercy!" the king yelled, which seemed to boom throughout the mines.

Sweating, Blumiere was able to rush far enough away from where King Croacus was. He placed Timpani down on the ground, looking at his hands. They were covered in the blood that leaked from her wounds. Timpani took deep breaths, wondering if the wounds would close soon. She was losing blood quickly, and she could barely keep herself conscious. She felt dizzy and knew that if she didn't have medical attention soon, she would be in grave danger. Still, it was not the largest concern on her mind. Staring up at her savior, she struggled to stand.

"Don't move…" Blumiere muttered calmly.

"Why?" Timpani asked. "I'm just your classmate, Blumiere. Why did you try to save me?" Timpani asked. She was so happy that he did so, but she had to know why. Blumiere stared at her injured, frail body with wide, astonished eyes. He seemed to be hurt by her question, which made Timpani want to take it back. Before she could apologize, he turned away.

"If you ask me that, then maybe you're not the one I'm looking for." Blumiere muttered. Timpani stared in confusion.

"What are you…" she began.

"No, it's nothing." Blumiere turned back to face her. His expression was extremely serious. "We need to get out of this place." He told her, taking her hand and rushing away from where King Craocus was. As Blumiere dragged her away, Timpani was lost in thought again.

'_What was he walking about? 'The one I'm looking for'? What…wait!_' Timpani suddenly remembered two very important things. She still didn't have her rod and King Croacus had the fourth Pure Heart.

"Wait." Timpani said sharply. Blumiere stopped and turned around.

"What is it?" he asked. Timpani hesitated for a moment.

"I…I can't leave this place yet. The Floro Sapiens took two important things away from me that I really need." Timpani told him. Blumiere raised an eyebrow.

"You're beyond injured. You can't go back now." Blumiere said, a mixture of worry in his voice. Maybe he wasn't mad at her. Timpani shook that thought out of her head.

"But…it's…let's just say if I don't have these things, terrible events are going to occur." Timpani said, trying to be subtle. Blumiere looked back, taking some interest in what she was saying.

"What exactly did they take from you?" he asked.

"A very special talisman of mine and a green, glowing heart emblem." Timpani tried to lie about it. She couldn't exactly say 'a rod and a Pure Heart', for he would have no idea of how to comprehend that.

Of course, she was so far away from the truth with that.

"Let's go, then." He said, letting go of her hand and walking behind Timpani to head back in the direction they came from.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

The sunlight faded away from the sky as the Void grew to an enormous size, however that was not what the three Heroes noticed right away. They were already way too deep into the mines to really realize this fact, and they were determined to save Timpani as quickly as they could. Floro Sapien armies began to sprawl out from the earth of the mines, ready to attack the Heroes if they approached any further.

Mario used his hammer to bash the flower monsters back into the ground, crushing their roots and petals together. Using the barrier ability a few times, this allowed Peach to smite the Floros with her attack of purity. Of course, it was Bowser who did the most damage to the enemy. With his flaming breath, he was able to burn down over half of the Floro Sapiens who attacked them.

"Hey, how do ya like that, Peach?" Bowser bragged, finishing off a large wave of Floros. Peach paid no attention.

"We need to hurry! Timpani could be in a large amount of danger!" Peach said, concerned. Burly groaned.

"Why are my attempts so meaningless?" Bowser complained aloud. Mario rolled his eyes and dragged Bowser along with him deeper into the mine.

Few lanterns lighted the darkness of the mine and glowing gems that poked out of the brown dirt. The cold air of the underground began to make them shiver, but more obstacles tried to stop them from reaching where Timpani was.

"Oh, please let her be okay…" Peach prayed to herself, Mario nodding in agreement. Bowser coughed sarcastically, but deep inside, he was really concerned for her too. Deeper, deeper, the mine went deeper into the earth without too much of a stop. The depth of the mine made their ears pop, but that was the least of their worries. Suddenly, they found themselves deep enough that they were in front of a pair of large doors. A large word was on the front reading 'STAIRS TO SURFACE'.

"What the hell? You mean there's an easier way down here?" Bowser asked, glaring at the door with disgust.

"No time to feel stupid now, where could Timpani be held?" Peach asked, looking around the area without a cease to her worried actions. Mario suddenly spotted something in the floor that made him stare. He sketched a note in his notepad, showing it to Peach.

_There's a trail of blood on the ground. It's leading to that large door over there._

Peach looked down on the earth. Indeed there was a ruby trail leading over towards the pair of white, double doors. She bit her lip.

"You don't think that this blood could belong to…" Peach didn't want to think about it. Mute shook his head, trying to insure that Peach didn't freak out. Although, he had the sickening doubt in his mind that this blood only belonged to the non-Floro hostage Timpani. Something bad must have happened to her.

"Let's get a move on!" Bowser roared, already standing in front of the doors. Peach and Mario followed, rushing through the doors and into the lair of King Croacus.

"W-What the hell is that?" Bowser asked, his eyes wide at the sight of the flower king.

"Wait…there's something wrong." Peach took a look at King Croacus. Yes, something was indeed wrong. Very wrong. Unlike the king Croacus that Timpani was held by, this King Croacus had seemed to decay. He no longer looked healthy, and the petals around his face no longer seemed to flourish with its former pink color. The previously green stem was now an ugly brown color, showing that it seemed to die away.

"B-b-b-beautiful…everything shall be…" King Croacus muttered, his eyes still shot wide open.

"Who are you?" Peach asked. King Croacus did not seem to notice the arrival of the three Heroes.

"Heh heh heh…even if you steal all of my treasures, I will still be beautiful…" King Croacus spoke softly, finally closing his eyes in peace.

"What happened here?" Peach asked loudly, trying to shake the king awake. It was no use. He was gone. But what could have killed him in such a short amount of time between Timpani's escape and the hero's arrival. Well, there was something. Or rather, someone.

"Such a pitiful organism."

A voice made the three Heroes direct their attention right behind them. A shadow stood in the doorway where they had entered, suddenly leaping into the air and flipping over the group. It landed right on top of the dead King Croacus, placing a shoe on his dead bud of a face. Out of the shadows, the figure was identified as a girl. Her hair was cut very short, which only touched the middle of her ears. Her eyes were covered by a black eye-mask, but the color of her eyes was impossible to tell from the distance in which the Heroes stood at. Her outfit was a combination of dark green pants and a light green shirt. A cape swung around her neck, being a gold color that seemed to be dull in the light of the room. A smirk curled across her face, while a green cap covered her brunette hair. The cap had a black, backwards L on the front. The Heroes stood in confusion at the arrival of the newcomer.

"Who do you think you are, chump?" Bowser yelled. The girl laughed.

"Me? I am only the all-powerful green lightning!" she exclaimed. She thrust her left arm into the air and threw out her right arm to the right side of her body, creating the shape of an L.

"I am Ms. L!"

"Another enemy?" Peach asked, worry in her voice. Mario stared at Ms. L with concern. Something about her bothered poor Mario, making him think.

"If you oppose Count Bleck, then yes! I am an enemy!" Ms. L exclaimed, lowering her arms to her side. "Now, I've been ordered to take you down." She said, getting right to the point. "Say hi to the folks in the Underwhere for me, 'kay?" she asked, smirking devilishly. Peach got out her parasol, while Bowser prepared to breathe fire. Mario remained stationary, this newcomer still bothering him.

"Think you can stop me?" Ms. L asked, raising an eyebrow. "This should be amusing," she whispered.

"FIERY WRATH!" Bowser breathed a large wave of fire at Ms. L. The fire caught onto the dead body of King Croacus, and Bowser thought that he took her out for good. However, he was far from the truth. In fact, in the split second, Ms. L was able to leap up and away from the fire and thrust out her right leg.

"GRAND L KICK!" she yelled, using her body like a missile to shoot straight into Bowser with a forceful kick. The hit was direct, and Bowser flew back.

"Bowser!" Peach yelled, rushing back to check if he was all right.

'_I should get hurt more often…_' Bowser thought, seeing that he got attention from Peach now that he was injured. Mario stepped forward, ready to defend his friends. He got out his hammer, seeing if Ms. L would attack first. She did.

"I should get you out of the way, shrimp." Ms. L said sharply, leaping into the air. She almost touched the ceiling she jumped so high. Mario was impressed with her acrobatics skills, but it triggered something in his memory. He knew one other person that could do the same acrobatics…and that one person happened to go missing. His eyes widened as he dodged her from drilling a kick into his skull. He put away his hammer, telling himself that he couldn't harm this new enemy.

"What's the matter, shrimp? Afraid to smack me over the head?" Ms. L mocked.

"Mario, what are you doing?" Peach asked, gravely concerned for what Mario was doing. Ms. L chuckled.

"If you want to get rid of me so badly, you'd better do it fast." Ms. L said, her smirk becoming wide. "The Void is growing as we speak, and once it reaches its largest side…SLUUUUURP! This world's done…" Ms. L mocked the Void taking the dimension away from existence.

"HEY! This world ain't going to perish while we're here to save it!" Bowser roared, finding the strength to battle her.

"Ooh, I'm shaking!" Ms. L mocked, laughing afterward. Before she was able to react with another attack, the red barrier ability from Mario stopped her.

"W-w-what is this?!" Ms. L was frozen in the barrier. Mario glared at her, but it soon softened in a moment. The glimmer of green light shone from her left pocket, which caught everyone's attention.

"Is that…?" Peach realized right away what Ms. L had taken.

A Pure Heart floated out from her pocket, floating over near the group. Obviously the barrier could do a lot more for Mario than he knew. Ms. L screamed.

"No! The Pure Heart! You stupid Heroes! Bleck will hear about this!" she threatened, still struggling to get out of the barrier. Bowser laughed.

"Right, and like he'll back you up." Bowser said sarcastically. Ms. L's eyes widened.

"Yeah, he's gonna blame it on me…" Ms. L said in disappointment. She snapped out of that emotion. "But that's not gonna stop me from kicking your ass!" she snapped, suddenly breaking through the barrier.

"What just happened?" Peach asked, looking toward Mario. Mario's eyes were wide with fear. He didn't have enough power to hold her back completely.

"You're going down!" Ms. L yelled, charging at Mario. She rushed at him with high speed, leaping into the air for a forceful dive kick. Mario was quick enough to flip his body back, getting out his hammer and swinging it at Ms. L's approaching body.

WHAM!

Mario knocked her back, a look of horror plastered on his face as he realized how much damage he did to her. She crashed back into the wall, knocking her unconscious. The eye-mask over her eyes fell off, revealing the true face of Ms. L. The three heroes looked at each other, each exchanging looks of worry. Mario approached the limp body of Ms. L, kneeling before her to check if she was still breathing.

"Is she going to be okay?" Peach asked, taking concern for the unconscious enemy. Bowser groaned.

"She's our _enemy!_ Why do you care about her?" Bowser asked. Mario shot a sharp glare back at Bowser, which actually made the tough Hero back off. Obviously this was something he shouldn't have been "joking" about.

The Pure Heart was levitating in the air, small specks of light falling onto the burnt body of King Croacus. It shimmered with the most brilliant, green light that the Heroes had not seen for what seemed to be the longest time. With the Pure Heart's power, some of the dust that fell form the heart sprinkled onto Ms. L's body. Her eyes slowly opened and a groan sounded from her mouth, making Mario smile.

"W-what…ow…" Ms. L's voice sounded a little different from before. It no longer carried the same dark tone it did before. She sounded familiar, and her eyes made Bowser and Peach realize who they had been fighting this entire time.

"Lulu!" Peach felt horrible for harming her friend. "I am so sorry!" she cried, running in and giving Lulu the biggest hug she had ever given.

"Sorry for what?" Lulu questioned, a nervous smile spreading across her face. "Who are you, and why do you know my name?" Lulu asked, realized a strange, pink heroine was hugging her. Peach's eyes widened.

"Oh! That's right, she has no clue of who we are." Peach laughed. "Lulu, I'm Peach. Your classmate. And that's Burly." She pointed to Bowser, who folded his arms in front of his chest.

'_How come everyone but me gets all of the hugs and attention around here?_' Bowser thought, glaring at Lulu and Peach. Lulu's eyes widened.

"Wait…Peach?! Whoa! What's with the get-up?" Lulu asked, surprised. "And Burly…you look…like a giant turtle."

"HEY! This is quality superhero garb right here!" Bowser barked back. Lulu finally got the chance to look over toward Mario.

"And…who is this?" Lulu asked. As she looked up at his red cap, she then realized that it was stupid to ask. She knew that red cap from anywhere.

"Oh, that's—" Peach began. Lulu stood up, her legs shaking. She held out a hand to stop her and she walked over toward Mario. Mario immediately rushed in to support her, for she didn't have the complete strength to walk on her own yet.

"Mute, thank you for whatever you did." Lulu said, smiling sheepishly. "I know it's you, right? You're a Hero too? I think that's awesome…" Lulu told him, wrapping her arm around his shoulder for support. It was a little awkward with him being shorter, but his strength was strong enough for him to hold her. Mute nodded, smiling. He felt optimistic again. The sensation that everything was going to be okay felt foreign to him at first, but he knew that now that she was okay, everything else was going to turn out fine.

But that feeling was about to be increased and put to an end.

Through the door, two more familiar figures came in.

"Guys?!" Timpani was surprised to see the Heroes there. The four turned around to see both Blumiere and Timpani standing in the doorway.

"Timpani!" they all exclaimed, rushing to their friend. Blumiere stared at the Heroes, unsure of whom they were, but he also caught sight of Lulu.

"Lulu, you're okay!" Blumiere said, a weak and struggling smile on his face. Timpani didn't seem to notice how strange his smile was, for when she heard her best friend's name, it was her turn to give her the hug of death.

"LULU! I'm so glad that you're okay!" she wrapped her friend in her arms, tears falling from her eyes. "What happened to you?" she asked, concern in her weakened voice.

"I…I really don't know. I just…aw, you'll never believe me." Lulu said, smiling.

"Do tell. We've been worried about you." Peach said, smiling.

"Wait, who are you?" Blumiere asked, trying to get grips of who these Heroes were.

"Oh, it's a little hard to explain who they are." Timpani said, her smile fading a little. Her eyes darted away from her best friend when she saw the shimmering green light of the Pure Heart. Blumiere noticed it too, his brown eyes wide.

"Timpani…that's…" Blumiere began.

"What I was looking for." Timpani said, rushing toward it. '_Now, where's my rod…_' Timpani looked at the ground at the crippled King Croacus, noticing a glimmer of glass. The rod was nearby where the stem had decayed. She dusted it off as she picked it up carefully, flipping it through her fingers.

'_That rod! No…she couldn't be! The one who's rebelling against my desire!_' Blumiere's thoughts rushed through his mind. '_If she's against me…if she's going to stop me…then there's no way that she was who I thought she was. I thought my search was over, but it was all a lie!_' Blumiere seemed very upset about something, which reflected onto his face.

"Blumiere?" Timpani asked, putting down her rod. She noticed that he was glaring at the ground, his fists clenched tightly. Blumiere looked up, glaring at _her._

"Are you okay?" Timpani asked, approaching him carefully.

"Timpani, seal the heart!" Bowser reminded her.

"I'll do it in a second…" Timpani whispered, walking towards Blumiere. Her worried face made his glare soften slightly, but only a tad. She was about to pry until a strong tremor shook the entire mine and dimension.

It was the Void.

"W-w-what's going on?!" Lulu asked, clinging to Mario as the ground shook.

"The Void…" came a voice that no one expected to know about it. Blumiere spoke those two words softly, but loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Blumiere, how do you…?!" Timpani was shocked that he knew all about the Void.

"Dimentio…" Blumiere said sharply. Lulu's eyes widened.

"You know that freak?" Lulu screamed, glaring at him.

"I _command _that freak." Blumiere spat. "DIMENTIO!" he yelled, his eyes flaring. There was another tremor.

"Timpani, seal the heart! NOW!" Bowser yelled Timpani gripped her rod and chanted quietly, not taking her gaze off of Blumiere. The jester appeared before Blumiere.

"Ah, Count, why are you in your human form?" Dimentio questioned. Before Blumiere had a chance to answer, he saw the Heroes and Timpani out of the corner of his eye. "Ah, never mind." Dimentio said, smirking. "I probably shouldn't have said something, right?"

"You! What did you do to me?" Lulu asked, glaring at Dimentio. Dimentio heard Lulu and turned around, his smile actually disappearing.

"Oh my…you remember your former self now. That's such a pity. I liked you better when you were a slave to the Chaos Heart. Oh well, puppets can't cut their own strings." Dimentio chimed.

"Dimentio, this dimension shall be destroyed in a matter of minutes." Blumiere told him.

"Blumiere…?" Timpani was horrified.

"Blumiere no longer exists." He turned to Timpani with a look of sadness of his own. "He lost something so valuable to him which the world took away! Now the world will pay!" Blumiere yelled. "Bleck will make sure of it!"

"Bleck…? You know Count Bleck?" Timpani could hear her heart beating. She feared for the absolute worst out of this. Mario, Peach, and Bowser gave each other nervous looks; while Lulu glared at Dimentio, fear pulsing through her body. Blumiere chuckled, an insane grin forming on his face.

"The keeper of the Dark Prognosticus and destructor of worlds…is Count Bleck!" Blumiere yelled. Timpani shook her head in disbelief, her mind (and heart) unable to comprehend this now.

"No…you're not my enemy! Anyone but you!" Timpani cried, violently shaking her head. Her reaction made his own eyes widen, but he soon shook the emotion of surprise out of his head.

"Oh my, what is this? Do you regret _hating _Bleck for wanting to destroy the worlds?" Dimentio butted into the situation. "Is that sound I hear vividly the sound of _your heart breaking into several pieces_?" he asked, grinning. Timpani fell to her knees.

"Allow me to put you out of your misery, Rainbow Tippi." Dimentio said, holding out a hand.

"What are you doing?!" Lulu yelled, trying to rush at Dimentio. She tripped over her own legs, still too weak to do anything. The jester pointed a finger at her, sketching a box around Timpani. Blumiere stared in confusion to what he was doing.

"Bleck did not command you to interfere." Blumiere said, glaring.

"Oh, patience, my dear Count. What I am doing will benefit for you." Dimentio said, chuckling. With the box sketched around Timpani, it soon turned to solid glass. The group stared, eyes wide.

"What is that?!" Peach asked, rushing to the glass case. Timpani realized what had happened. She stood up and rushed to the side of her glass cell, trying to escape.

"No use, pathetic heroine." Dimentio mocked. "Say hello to Queen Jaydes for me." He said.

"Wait…what are you…!" Blumiere finally got grips to what Dimentio was doing.

Everything seemed to happen so slowly.

BOOM! BAM! BOOOOM!

They thought it was another tremor, but no. Explosions occurred within the box that Timpani was trapped in, each one larger than the last. The Heroes stared in horror as Timpani's screams echoed out of the box and into the room that they all were in. Dimentio laughed coldly as the last explosion sounded, leaving Timpani sliding down the glass side of the case. Her body was covered in burns and bruises, while the wounds that seemed to close slightly from the thorns were now wide open again. A look of despair was all over her now pale face as she looked toward Blumiere.

"B-blumie…" her voice shook as she finally fell to the bottom of the case, her eyes slowly closing. She reached her hand to touch the side of the case, pressing her hand against the glass. Her rod was held tight in her other hand. Dimentio made the glass disappear around her body.

"B-blumie…re…" her voice was weaker than ever, and the boy now known as Count Bleck actually seemed to forget his feelings that this girl betrayed him. She was dying, right before his eyes. And all he could do was stare. She reached a hand out to him, struggling to reach him.

"I…I…I'm…so…rry…" she uttered, her eyes slowly closing. Her hand dropped to the ground.

Silence. Silence covered the room, but that was soon interrupted. Another tremor filled the room, this one being the largest of all.

"The Void is swallowing this world for good. We must take our bows, my Count. We must get out of here." Dimentio said, warping out of the room. Blumiere looked at the Heroes, who all seemed to be looking at Timpani's dead body. Even though the room was shaking like crazy, there was nothing else to think about or look at. Blumiere turned away from her body and warped out of the room. Peach was the only one to catch his face before he finally escaped from the dying world.

'_He was in despair._' Peach stared at the spot where Blumiere had left. However, by that time…

It was all ending.

"Mute!" Lulu yelled, the silent boy suddenly hugging her tight as the world began to shake violently. Bowser kept his grips on Peach, making sure that she wouldn't fly out if something were to happen. Everything began to fall a part, chunks of stone flying everywhere and old, decayed flower stems flew into the air. The mines began to blow into the Void, dirt and gems shattering into the never-ending abyss. It was just as Ms. L had described it. Everything and everyone was being sucked into the Void, leaving nothing but a white and destroyed world behind.

There was nothing. Absolutely nothing. It had all vanished. Even the Heroes who died protecting each other. There was nothing left of the Gap of Crag, nor the Floro Mines.

_Nothing but a blank sheet of white. _

**Next Time!**

_Am I…dead? NOOO! I can't be dead! I'm trapped in the Underwhere, and I can't find anyone! Did I die alone? It all seems like a blur, but dammit, I can't die! Mute! Peach! Burly! Lulu! No… I can't be done! My game can't be over! Oh, Blumiere, why did this have to happen…? Hey, wait…what is this? What do you mean Flipside isn't my home? Why do you have my "past memories", Queen Jaydes? What is does this mean? _

Coming soon!

Episode Six: Death Do Us Part? A Tragic Love Remembered

**(More Author's Notes: Hahaha, if you're wondering why Ms. L died out so early in this chapter (and if you were disappointed by it), I have my reasons. And don't worry! She'll be back! As long as Dimentio's there, Ms. L will make her triumphant return!)**


	6. Episode Six

**(Author's Notes: There are some key elements that I've decided to hide from you, and you'll learn about those in this chapter. Mwahaha...but if you're confused about what those are and how I hinted them in the chapter, read it through and I'll write about it at the bottom. I'm going to warn you, I'm going to get really sappy with the romance stuff from this point on. Especially in coming chapters. Sooo...sappy romance warning! Enjoy!)  
**

**F L I P . / . F L O P**

"My Count, is something troubling you?"

"Ya've been starin' inta space fer hours!"

"You haven't shown us that snazzy smirk in hours, Count!"

"Cheer up, Count, 'K?"

"There's no going back now….Bleck knows that more than everyone."

_Silence. _

"Leave Bleck for now…"

_More silence._

"Timpani…why did it have to end this way…?"

**Episode Six: Death Do Us Part? A Tragic Love Remembered**

Everything was nothing.

It was all a black sheet over Timpani's memory.

Her limp body was not gone completely, for it had only been sent to another dimension. The problem? This was not the dimension to be sent to.

The souls of the dead were floating through the indigo sky, whisping away to a far away place to where they would eventually suffer for eternity. Several other walking spirits were struggling to reach the palace where the Queen of the Underwhere stayed, her cold gaze looking upon every lost soul of this bleak and cold hell. The sound of running water was heard throughout this dimension, for the River Twygz was the barrier between the unworthy and Queen Jaydes. A small boat floated upon the top of the rose-colored water, the current nonexistent to the creature that steered the canoe across the river.

"Dum de dum…" the creature that sat upon the boat stared off into the sky, looking to see a few cracks of light seemed to leak through. Now, just because this was the Underwhere didn't mean that the Overthere was that far. It was only a few flights of levels away, along with seventy-three clouds that acted as the Overthere Stair. However, at this time and place, that was not what caught his attention.

Suddenly, out of the Underwhere sky, a figure fell from the green clouds of lost spirits and into the River Twygz. With a large splash, the ripples made a forceful impact on the boat.

"Whoa! What was that?" the rower asked, seeing the figure fall into the river. He looked off his boat, seeing who the figure was. A teenage girl with brunette hair, tied back into a ponytail. Once she fell into the river, the band that held the ponytail together slowly fell off, allowing her hair to float around her head. Her eyes were closed, so there was no telling what color her eyes were. Her clothing was a tattered, yellow skirt and a slightly torn white blouse. The tie previously wrapped around her slender neck fell off in the water, for it was barely hanging onto her outfit before hand. She wore mismatched socks, which seemed to turn dully colored in the water that she fell into. Her broken glasses also floated away in the stream, dropping to the bottom of the river's bed. The rower stared in confusion.

"No one comes to the Underwhere in their previous form…" he muttered. His eyes narrowed. "Queen Jaydes will need to hear about this!" he exclaimed, suddenly rowing the boat toward where the girl had fell. He rowed it quickly, looking below. He saw the disembodied hands that guarded the bed of the river began to move out of their place, reaching for the unconscious intruder. The rower sighed, preparing to jump in and rescue her before the hands caught her and tore her a part. However, he soon figured out that it wasn't necessary.

She held a rod tightly in one hand, and it suddenly began to flash brightly. The rower had to shield his eyes from her rod's brilliant light, and everyone in the Underwhere seemed to catch it as the light finally died down.

A golden barrier was surrounding her now, allowing the river to carry it back up as it finally reached the top of the river. It floated above the water's surface, holding a new girl that the rower barely recognized. Her brunette hair was now blonde, and her outfit had completely changed. Nothing was tattered or torn, and she looked unharmed as far as falling into the river with great impact. Wings were now on her back, shining with a rainbow light. An aura seemed to surround her as the barrier began to slowly disappear. The rower eyes widened as he realized what had created the barrier. Four, heart-shaped objects floated back into her rod, each a different color.

"The Pure Hearts…" he muttered. The girl floated back to the side of the River Twygz, landing nearby where the ship was docked. She landed on her feet, her eyes still closed. Slowly, her blue eyes opened to see the rower and his ship. A look of great confidence and skill was on her face, which the rower stared at with wide eyes.

"W-who are you?" the rower asked, backing into the bow of his ship. As he spoke, that look broke and she suddenly seemed shocked to be in a new environment.

"Where am I?" she asked her own question, looking around the bleak Underwhere. The rower reacted to her sudden fear in being in this place and cleared his throat.

"This is the Underwhere, miss. Some call it World -1." He explained. "The more accurate name is World 7, but people are so ignorant these days." He stopped his ranting before clearing his throat again.

"The Underwhere?! Wait! I know the Underwhere! It's where people go when…" she seemed so shocked to be in this place. Fear filled her eyes. The rower nodded without emotion.

"**When your game ends.**" He said, making the girl fall back.

"No! My game can't be over!" she yelled at the indigo sky.

"Tsk, that's what they all say. If you don't believe me, you can hear it from Jaydes herself. Just come with me across the River Twygz." The rower placed a hand on his row, preparing to direct the canoe to cross the river. "But first, tell me your name." he said, wanting to know who this mysteriously dressed person was. She hesitated, but stepped on the boat.

"Timpani." She explained. "But I have another name. In this form, I'm called Rainbow Tippi." She introduced, staring at the boat's floor. Her eyes were still wide with disbelief.

'_I'm __**dead**__? No…this can't be happening…_' she thought, all hope escaping from her mind. Everything she was doing in the world above…it was all meaningless now. '_Did I die alone? When did it happen? Ah, wait…_' she recalled what had happened. It was all happening so fast to her, but at the time, it seemed so slow. In mere moments, Dimentio had taken advantage of the fact that she was saddened and trapped her in her grave. Using his ability to destroy her, he did just that. Tears fell down the heroine's face as she began to sob.

"Regret being dead?" the rower asked. Tippi nodded.

"I…I have so much I have to do in the world above!" Tippi said through sobs. The rower shook his head.

"It's a shame. But hey, maybe Jaydes will give you a break and send you to the Overthere. It won't be so bad. The Overthere is blissful and happy! I sure wish I could go there. I've been hearing great things about their resort." The rower began to rant about how great the heavenly world was. Tippi was lost in her own despair, regretting that she allowed herself to die right in front of her friends and even Blumiere. What did it matter that they were enemies? She never really got to tell him how much she…_cared. _

"We're here." The rower interrupted her thoughts and docked the boat nearby the foot of a large, grey palace. She jumped off the boat, but before she could, the rower tapped her on the shoulder. "Got a tip?" he asked. Tippi shook her head.

"Ugh, no one does…" he muttered in defeat, returning to his ship. Tippi looked up at the palace and approached the large staircase. It was lined with a violet carpet that lead up to where several D-Men stood. They seemed to be busy, each writing things down on their clipboards. Tippi walked up the stairs slowly, taking in everything that was going on. Maybe Queen Jaydes would tell her that it was all a big mistake.

No, it was no mistake. All she had to do was found the Heroes. She failed at doing that, for she could only find three. Maybe it was her fate to die because it took so long. She wiped away the tears running down her cheeks as she finally reached the top stair.

There she was, the Queen of the Underwhere. The purple-skinned goddess known as Queen Jaydes. Her crown had long, pointed spikes that almost touched the ceiling. Her face was long, and her eyes were pitch black. Her body was something that Tippi assumed that every man had to gawk at. For a queen of death, she was certainly attractive. She assumed it had something to do with the fact that she was immortally young. Her locks were a light purple that reached down to her waist, bouncy and curly. However, the silver scythe on her back was also very noticeable. That made Tippi gulp.

"Ah, what is this?" Jaydes spoke, her voice cold and full of curiosity. She stared at the young heroine, her eyes narrowing. "You have not turned into a soul…what is the meaning of this?" Jaydes asked, walking toward Tippi. She shook, wondering if she was going to reap her soul straight from her body. However, Jaydes merely stared at her with confusion. She raised a long finger from her hand and pointed it at Tippi, a small, violet light emitting from it. Within a few seconds, it disappeared and Jaydes pulled it back. A small smile curled across her lips, which made Tippi want to ask why she seemed so…happy.

"You are Timpani, 15 years old from Flipside. You thought you were a normal student until you came into 9th grade. You ran into an old wizard named Merlon, who gave you that rod. With that rod, you have been sent on a mission that you were afraid that would end as soon as you arrived here. You had to find the Four Heroes who would stop the Dark Prognosticus and the Void from swallowing up every dimension. However, you also had to find the eight Pure Hearts. You hold four in your possession now." Jaydes explained.

"What…how do you…?" Tippi asked. Jaydes stopped her.

"My dear, I am the Queen of the Underwhere! I am required to know a little bit about the lives of every living creature in the universe. It's part of my training as the queen, after all. I am not finished, however. You go as Rainbow Tippi as you stand before me in that form. You have found all four Heroes…"

"Wait, I only found three." Tippi corrected her. It was Jaydes' turn to be confused.

"Oh, no. Your rod reacted to the fourth one right before you were sent here." Jaydes explained. Tippi stared, wide-eyed.

"To who?" Tippi asked. Not that it would matter now, but she just had to know.

"Your best friend, Lulu. She is the fourth hero, Luigi." Jaydes told her. Tippi's face turned pale.

"_Lulu?_" she asked. Okay, that went straight over her head. How come her rod had not reacted to Lulu before? She had always carried that rod with her and it had _never _reacted to Lulu. Ever.

"Do not worry about what has happened with your rod. That will be explained later." Jaydes said. "Now, I'm going to get straight to the point." Jaydes said, her smile vanishing. Tippi knew that this was going to be bad. Taking a deep breath, the queen of the Underwhere sighed deeply.

"I've got good news and bad news, which one do you want to hear?" Jaydes asked. Tippi thought about it.

"Um, bad news." Tippi knew she had to get it over with. Jaydes scratched her forehead, nodding.

"Your friends died along with you. As you died at the hands of Dimentio, the world was already seconds before being destroyed by the Void. All four Heroes perished in that explosion, along with several other Floros and Cragnons. However, the strange thing is that like you, they were able to maintain their human forms although they were sent to the Underwhere. And that's the good news." Jaydes said, her smile returning.

'_So…they're here too! Oh no, where are they?_' she looked up at Jaydes, expecting the good news to be that she knew where they were. It wasn't, but it was still very good news.

"The only way a person can keep their human form in the Underwhere and Overthere is only if they were sent to the Underwhere, but it was not their time to die. Which means that you are not ready to be sent here yet." Jaydes said. Tippi's face brightened up.

'_I'm not supposed to be dead! YES! But wait…_' she cheered inside her head, but she realized something important. "Wait, if I'm not supposed to be dead, then why was I sent here? How do I get out?" Tippi asked, suddenly worried that she wasn't going to be able to escape from the abyss. Jaydes chuckled.

"I can send you back to the world above. However, I would suggest finding your friends first." Jaydes told her. "And, I have more good news." Tippi was about to rush away from the throne room, but she turned around as she heard Jaydes' last statement.

"There are two things here that you _cannot leave without_. One of these things will give your heart feel bittersweet pain, but the other will heal it and give you courage." Jaydes said. Tippi nodded.

"Thank you, Queen Jaydes! I will come back when I'm ready to leave!" Tippi said, running toward the stairs she came from. Jaydes nodded as she ran away from the palace and back toward the River Twygz.

"Make haste, Timpani. There is much for you to learn…" Jaydes said, a look of sadness now appearing on her violet face.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

The Underwhere was like a complex cave. It was cold, long, and full of twists and turns that were naturally developed within the last few centuries. The green mist floated through the area as Tippi got off the ship of the River Twygz. She slowly walked toward a long pathway that seemed to lead to nowhere. She assumed that this was the Path of Silence. What was the Path of Silence, you ask? It was a long road that one was supposed to walk in order to get to Queen Jaydes, however for Tippi, it was the other way around. She walked toward the path, slowly walking down it. Besides the path, there seemed to be absolutely nothing. Nothing but an indigo sky, green mist and a grey path carved into the dark blue stone ground.

"Okay, I've got to find everyone." She told herself, trying to keep her confidence high. She couldn't give up hope again. Now that she knew that she had another chance, there was no reason to give in. However, the chill from the path made her shake as she wandered further down the path. She shivered, hugging herself with her arms. Open skin was on her legs and arms, goose bumps growing all over. She tried to keep focus on keeping herself warm, but the thought of being warm reminded her of being at Flipside Tower when Blumiere protected her.

'_Blumiere, where are you?_' Tippi asked herself in her mind, staring down at the path. Her eyes shimmered with remembrance, and other spirits on the way seemed to notice.

"_Oh, what is this? A young lady who has yet to take on her spirit form?_' a voice echoed from the sky. Tippi looked up, her eyes wide.

"_Why so gloomy? I'm aware it's the Underwhere, but you don't have to be sad that you're gone for good._" The voice said, sounding persuasive. "_You're Timpani, right? The young Lady Timpani?_"

"Lady?" Tippi asked, trying to identify where the voice was coming from. There came a cackle from the deep abyss of the sky.

"_Ooh, she doesn't __**remember.**__" _There was another cackle that made Tippi glare.

"Who is that?" Tippi asked, glaring into the sky.

"_Your past! She can't remember her past!_" the voice echoed.

"What are you talking about? Stop that!" Tippi yelled back, slamming her foot into the ground and glaring sharply at the indigo sky. As she yelled, her rod emitted a light that made the voice silence. Instead, a figure appeared before Tippi. She looked similar to Merlee, although her white hair was a lot longer and her robes were colored an icy blue color.

"I apologize for the spirits. They're nasty little things, aren't they?" she asked, checking to make sure that Tippi wasn't going to lose her mind. Tippi blinked, staring at this new figure. She tried to place of who she was, for she seemed to be very familiar.

"Oh, I forgot! My name is Merlumina." She introduced, smiling. "I am an ancient holder of the Pure Hearts from 1,500 years ago…one of the creators of the Light Prognosticus." Merlumina explained.

"You helped to write the Light Prognosticus?" Tippi asked in disbelief, wondering why a woman of great power was in her presence. "I…I'm sure you know who I am, right? I've been running into people who seem to know everything about me." Tippi said, trying to regain some sense of what was going on around her. Merlumina shook her head.

"All I know about you is what you forgot." Merlumina said. "And you have forgotten so much." She approached Tippi and placed a hand on her forehead. Tippi backed away for a moment, for this stranger's touch was ice cold.

"Sorry. This place isn't the best for warmth. However, it must be done. Your memories of your true past are in a hidden chamber of your mind, sealed back by the power of my descendant, Merlon." Merlumina explained.

"Merlon? What does Merlon have to do with my past?" Tippi asked, wondering why she mentioned Merlon in the same sentence as memories that were locked away to the corner of her mind. Merlumina sighed.

"Oh, I have so much to tell you. But please, let us walk and talk. You have the four Heroes to save, right? It will go much faster if I explain things to you while we travel." Merlumina stated as she began to walk ahead of Tippi. Tippi followed hesitatantly, unsure of what was going to happen. She remained silent as Merlumina cleared her throat.

"Timpani. That's your name, right?" Merlumina asked. Tippi nodded.

"My human name, anyway." Tippi said. "The name I use when I'm in this form…"

"Should be Lady Timpani." Merlumina interrupted. "In that form, you are a mature version of your thirteen-year old self. Lady Timpani, you are the key to stopping this entire mess with the Void." Merlumina explained.

"How am I the key? I'm not a Hero! All I have to do is collect the Pure Hearts…" Tippi argued, unsure of how exactly she fit into this legacy that was written into the Light Prognosticus. Merlumina gave Tippi a look of concern.

"He really got you good, didn't he?" Merlumina asked. Tippi didn't know who 'he' was, but she decided to ignore it. Merlumina continued.

"Lady Timpani, are you familiar with Count Bleck?" Merlumina asked. Tippi stopped in her tracks.

'_Blumiere…_' she thought, nodding quickly. Merlumina took notice of her wide eyes, which made her smile.

"He is the one causing the Void to grow. The power of the growing Void is even more powerful with the power of the Chaos Heart. Please understand that everything I tell you now is nothing but the truth. However, I have one last question." Merlumia said, taking in a breath.

"Are you familiar with the name Blumiere?"

Tippi nodded right away, which Merlumina was surprised at.

"He…he was my friend at school before I found out that he was Count Bleck." Tippi explained.

"Was he more than that?" Merlumina saw right through her statement. Tippi gulped and nodded. There was no way she couldn't be honest with this woman. "You loved him, did you not?" Tippi really didn't want to answer that question, but she found her head slowly tilting down into a small nod. "You don't have to be embarrassed. There is a red string that connects the two of you."

'_What…?_' Tippi really didn't believe too much in destiny. She barely had faith in where destiny pulled her. But she had heard the term of the 'red string of fate'.

"How so?" Tippi asked, her voice stuttering slightly. Merlumina chuckled.

"Oh, my dear, I have so much to tell you…" she began.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

"Mu…"

"Mute…"

The silent boy was shaken awake by two hands on his back. He awoke slowly, scratching his head. He blinked a couple of times to get grips on where he had ended up. However, with remembering all of that, he also remembered how a certain, tall girl had clung to him as the world was meeting its end.

'_Lulu…!_' Mute panicked as he looked around.

"I'm over here." That voice was a relief to hear. Mute turned to see the green-capped girl. However, she looked a little different. Maybe his vision was hazy since he had just woken up from being unconscious. In fact, it seemed to resemble his own hero uniform. While Mute was asleep, the power that Tippi had emitted from her rise from the River Twygz activiated something special.

Lulu's power as a Hero.

Mute smiled, glad to see she was all right. He stood up, approaching her. He arched his left eyebrow, indicating that it was strange to see her in a different outfit than the clothes she was wearing as Ms. L.

"Oh, this? I woke up with this stuff on. It's kind of cool! Plus, I feel healthier with this on. Maybe I'm a Hero like you, Mute!" Lulu exclaimed, grinning. Mute grinned nervously, taking a look around. The green souls of the Underwhere were floating around, while they saw a large doorway ahead of them. That doorway was the entrance to the Underwhere Road, which lead straight up to the Overthere.

"I don't know where we are, sadly. The last thing I remember is when that world was destroyed, and we were in that explosion…" her common sense kicked in with that line. Her eyes widened and she began to panic.

"Mute…I think this is…the Underwhere!" she exclaimed, making him panic as well. He flashed a look of absolute terror. _They were DEAD! _

"No, my game can't be over yet! I've got so many things I have to do in my life! Um…like…" Lulu tried to give some examples so she wouldn't be embarrassed with sounding like she had no life to go back to. Mute placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her.

"Thanks, Mute." She said, a smile returning to her face. "We'll find a way out of here, I know it. Maybe if I find Queen Jaydes, I can bargin with her so I can go back to Flipside!" Lulu exclaimed, raising her arm into the air to symbolize that she wasn't going to give up.

"Lulu? Is that you?" another female voice was heard from behind the large door that leads to the Overthere. Lulu jumped, turning around with fear written all over her face. It all went away as she saw that it was Peach who was behind the door. There was dust all over her body, and even a few bruises were showing where there was bare skin.

"Peach! Are you okay? You look terrible!" Lulu exclaimed, rushing over to the pink heroine. Peach nodded.

"I woke up on this fluffy cloud, and this very kind angel told me that there were people waiting for me back in the Underwhere. He told me that I was worthy enough to climb the Overthere Stair, yet it wasn't my time." Peach explained.

"I'm just glad that we were able to find you!" Lulu said, smiling. However, the appearance of the pink princess made Lulu realize something else. "Hey, where's chubby?" she asked, looking for Burly.

"You mean he's not with you?" Peach asked, her smile fading. Mute shook his head. Peach's eyes widened.

"Oh no! Burly!" Peach yelled.

"You're actually concerned for him? Isn't he a stubborn idiot who doesn't do anything but argue?" Lulu asked, wondering why Peach was so concerned. Mute sighed silently and began to write a note down in his notepad, showing it to Lulu. Her eyes widened.

"Really?" she asked in disbelief. Mute nodded, a look of utter seriousness on his face. Lulu burst out into laughter.

"What did you tell her, Mute?" Peach asked. Mute shook his head and hid the note. Peach groaned.

"Well, let's just keep searching. He's got to be around here somewhere…" Peach said, looking ahead of her to see a long path. "What's that?" Peach asked. Lulu turned to see the path as it curved down the floor.

"The Path of Silence." Lulu answered. "I read in mythology that every person who passed on into the Underwhere walks that path for days in order to get to Queen Jaydes and bargain with her to go to the Overthere. Then you walk all the way back if she says yes and you travel up the stairs to the Overthere. Then, it's bliss for the rest of your life. But if she says no, you'll be forced to remain in her palace and do her work for eternity!" Lulu explained. Peach shivered.

"Oh no…well…" Peach looked at the path. "Maybe she would know where Burly is! If we all…died…in the world destruction, then he must be somewhere around here!" Peach said, rushing toward the path.

"Wait up!" Lulu called, following her. Mute sighed silently once again and followed, trying to keep up with a determined princess and an acrobat master.

_I think that she has feelings for him too._

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

_Please understand that everything I tell you now is nothing but the truth._

That one day was when it all was set in motion. The day you two met was bound to set the fate of all dimensions in stone. _The day one of a Dark Race and a human fell in love. _

"Owww! Ow!"

A fifteen-year-old boy sat on an old bed, a large wound on his arm now bandaged. His scruffy dark blue hair and pure blue skin was not normal for any human, but this boy was of a completely different kingdom and species. His eyes were crimson-brown, and he seemed to be in very good shape despite his injured arm.

"Stop moving it! You'll only open that wound again!"

There came the voice of a young woman, who looked to be only thirteen years of age. Her blonde hair touched the middle of her back, being a little wavy, yet not enough to be curled completely. Her eyes were a crystal blue, and she wore a yellow robe over a goldenrod dress. Her hands were on her hips as she warned the boy not to open the wounds.

"Wait, you're a human…" the boy was surprised by her generosity toward him. For those of the Dark Race were treated coldly by humans and vice versa. "Why are you trying to heal my wounds?"

"Don't be foolish! Anyone with a heart would save a person in need! You were injured, and I couldn't just leave you out there to die!"

That compassion was the one key that unlocked his soul. He softened his eyes and calmed down. As she wrapped her fingers over a washcloth, she dipped it into warm waters so that she could clean up the wound so it wouldn't be infected.

"What's your name?" the boy asked as she approached with the washcloth. She removed the bandage and placed the cloth on to clean it. The boy cringed in pain as it touched the open wound.

"Timpani." She answered, slowly wiping the cloth over the blood on the wound. The boy cringed as she finished cleaning the wound up. He finally spoke again after recovering.

"I'm Blumiere." He introduced.

From that day on, you two knew each other as friends. Everything seemed to be peaceful and joyous…until that one day he decided to sneak away.

"Blumiere! You shouldn't be out here! What if your father catches you?" Timpani was in a panic. Blumiere smiled and shook his head.

"It'll be okay. I made sure he wouldn't find out that I came to see you this time." He reassured. Timpani still kept a nervous face, but nodded. She looked up at Blumiere, staring at his face and into his eyes, but slowly turned away. She seemed to be upset about something.

"Is something wrong?" Blumiere asked, seeing her turn away. Timpani turned back, smiling weakly.

"No, it's nothing. I'm just…so happy to see you." She said, a genuine smile finally showing itself on her lips. Blumiere shared the smile, moving toward her slowly.

"Where do you want to go today?" Blumiere asked. Timpani thought for a moment, placing a finger under her chin.

"Um, how about the gardens?" Timpani asked.

"Again?" Blumiere asked, smiling to try and tease her. Timpani giggled.

"Aw, c'mon!" Timpani took Blumiere's arm and tried to tug him away from where he was standing and toward his palace's gardens.

"All right, all right. But remember, we can't get caught." Blumiere warned her. Timpani nodded.

"I know!" she said cheerfully. She finally let go and skipped toward the gardens. Blumiere followed slowly, keeping an eye on her.

'_I've got to tell her…but would she feel the same? We're from different species…different families…different kingdoms…_'

The two stood nearby a lake in the gardens, looking at the reflection of the cloudless sky that was pictured in the body of water. Fresh, grown grass had a pleasant scent in the garden air, while the fragrance of flowers mixed in, making this place seem like the Overthere to the two teenagers who enjoyed their time here.

"Let's go sit down." Timpani said, walking over toward a nearby tree. Blumiere followed her over as they sat down in a patch of grass beneath the shade. "Isn't this so nice? The weather is so pleasant today and…" Timpani was ranting about how great the trip was when she suddenly realized that the lips of another blocked her lips. Out of nowhere, Blumiere had given her a surprise kiss. As he broke it quickly, their faces were both painted with crimson blush.

"I-I'm sorry, Timpani!" Blumiere exclaimed, trying to make sure he didn't surprise her too much. Timpani placed a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide.

"Blumiere…" she whispered, gingerly touching her lips with her fingers. A small smile appeared, which made Blumiere's eyes widen. "I…I…I wanted to come here today to tell you something important. All of this time we've been spending together, and I thought this would be a little more awkward to say since I wasn't sure of how you felt…but now…"

"You don't have to say it." Blumiere said, smiling. He knew what she was going to say, and there was no amount of happiness that he felt within him that was equivalent to this.

"Blumiere…I love you…" Timpani whispered.

"I told you that you didn't have to say it." Blumiere whispered back, leaning in for a second kiss that she was actually prepared for.

Ah yes, it all seemed like serenity now. However, everything would soon fall a part…

"Blumiere! Your…"

"It's fine, don't worry about me…"

A bruise was located on the prince's head, and he tried to cover it up with his bangs. Timpani was observant enough to notice that someone else had injured him.

"Was it your father?" Timpani asked, rushing to him and trying to examine the bruise herself.

"He does not accept my relationship with you. No one does." Blumiere said, gloom floating in his eyes. Timpani took his hands, trying to calm him.

"Blumiere, everything will be okay." She reassured.

"I know what we'll do!" Blumiere suddenly exclaimed, taking Timpani by surprise. "We'll go away! We'll go far, far away to a place that we can be together! A place where people can accept us!" Blumiere told her. Timpani was shocked at his sudden idea.

"I…do not know of a place like that, Blumiere." Timpani said, suddenly saddened by the idea that no one truly accepted their relationship.

"Away from my father! Away from the peeping eyes of the village people who gossip about you and me! Away from all of those people who believe we're doing something wrong…" Blumiere told her, slowly bringing her into his arms and embracing her tightly. Timpani smiled weakly, nodding.

"I know we'll find it, Blumiere…" Timpani said, looking up at him.

The darkness began to set in as his father interfered. It's a sad thing what intolerance can do…

"Father! What did you do…!"

"It's for the better, Blumiere! You shouldn't have met that human girl in the first place!"

The King of the Dark Race yelled at his son, glaring at the young and emotionally injured Blumiere. Tears leaked out of Blumiere's eyes as he stood before his father. He was glaring and crying, his fists clenched below his waist. However, the glare soon softened and he stared at the ground, tears falling onto the floor of his palace.

"Timpani…she's gone…" he whispered, lost in his own sadness.

"You'll thank me one day. Humans and our race never get along." His father stated, walking away from his son. Blumiere fell to his knees, unable to grip the idea that Timpani was gone. His father warped her to another dimension, sending her far away.

"TIMPANI!" Blumiere yelled, letting out a wail before sinking back to his knees. "I'm sorry…we could never find a place where we could be together…"

Sadness leads to despair. Despair leads to anger. Anger leads to desire.

**The desire to get revenge.**

"Blumiere, what are you doing?!"

In the chamber deep in his own palace, Blumiere had found the Dark Prognosticus. With losing Timpani, he couldn't think straight. He wanted to make the world pay for taking her away from him! He glared at his father as he accepted the Dark Prognosticus' power. It began to twist his mind and his form, allowing a new person to stand before what was formally his father.

"Blumiere, no one has survived when using that book!"

"Blumiere no longer exists! I am Count Bleck!" Blumiere yelled back, snatching the book and disappearing from the chamber. His father was left with the utmost guilt…and everything was set in motion.

**// . r a I n b o w . //**

"Blumiere…" Tippi had listened to Merlumina's story carefully, and her eyes were now flooding with tears. With the detail that Merlumina had put into it, she began to slowly remember it all. The joy she had spending with her beloved Blumeire…and the sadness she felt when her father trapped her and warped her away, probably to never see Blumiere again.

"Do you understand what you must do?" Merlumina asked. Tippi took a long time to think, but she soon nodded.

"Yes. I know…" Tippi said, wiping away the tears from her eyes. "Yet…" Tippi spoke up again, making Merlumina stare in confusion. "How could I have forgotten something like that?" she asked curiously. Merlumina nodded, knowing she had to explain this element a little more in depth.

"Merlon, my descendant, found you unconscious in Flipside when you came there. You were weak, and could not maintain your body in its true form. He took you back to his house and read your memory to realize that you were going to make a difference for all of the dimensions." Merlumina smiled, but it soon faded.

"He rewrote your past memories, allowing you to think that you were a normal girl who lived in Flipside for her whole life. To avoid suspiscion, Merlon also took a girl your age and modified her memory too to make sure that you wouldn't be alone in the new world." Merlumina explained. Tippi knew exactly whom she was talking about.

"Lulu…" Tippi's eyes began to tear up. "So, we're really not best friends since childhood?" Tippi asked.

"Do not be sad, Timpani. Just because you two do not actually share the past that you thought you did does not mean that you two do not share a strong bond. You two became friends, and that's all that matters now. What you must be concerned for now is not the past, but the future." Merlumina explained. Tippi wiped her eyes and nodded, trying to stay confident. Merlumina smiled.

"Then take this." The woman pulled out an object that emitted a strong, light blue light that made Tippi smile. It was the fifth Pure Heart. Taking out her rod, Tippi sealed away the fifth Heart with a joyful smile. What made her smile even more was the fact that she could see that several familiar figures were rushing down the Path of Silence to find her. Her friends were okay!

"Tippi!" Peach exclaimed, rushing toward the heroine with a glomp. Lulu laughed as she waited for the princess to get off her friend, while Mute remained in back until he was called for.

"Lulu, what happened to you?" Tippi asked, wondering what was with the new outfit.

"Isn't it obvious? Your arrival in the Underwhere triggered her powers as the fourth Hero." Merlumina explained.

"So, I am the fourth Hero!" Lulu exclaimed, smiling. Tippi was so grateful to be here with her friends and able to find the fifth Pure Heart. Even remembering those memories, she was glad that she did. It was all going to be for the better.

That is, until she realized that they were missing a member.

"Where's Burly?" Tippi asked. Peach's smile faded and she looked away.

"Well, I lost him. I'm sure he's down here somewhere, but…" Peach felt guilty for suddenly stating that he would be _down here__in the Underwhere, _but the others didn't seem to notice.

"I'm sure Queen Jaydes knows where he is." Tippi said, determined to get out of this place. "C'mon, she's pretty far back this way!" Tippi said, running back down the path towards the River Twygz. Merlumina bowed her head as the Heroes chased after her, disappearing into the bleak, indigo air that hung above the lonely path.

'_They are the ones who will save these worlds…_'

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

It was a long way back to the River Twygz, and the group was exhausted from sprinting the entire way. The rower of the ship stared as they arrived, gasping for breath. He chuckled, tapping his oar against the ship's side to get their attention.

"Need a ride across?" he asked. They all nodded slowly, Mute looking like he wanted to pass out. He was the shortest, and his legs did match those of a person like Lulu, who wasn't nearly as exhausted. "Climb aboard." He said, motioning to the seats in the boat. Everyone climbed on, allowing the rower to stroke his oar through the water and move the boat toward Queen Jaydes' palace.

"Did you find everyone?" the rower questioned Tippi. Tippi shook her head.

"There's still one other person we're missing. I really hope he's okay." Tippi explained. The rower sighed.

"Then why are you coming back across the river?" he asked.

"Because Queen Jaydes can probably locate him for us!" Peach explained. The rower thought for a moment, and smiled.

"Ah, of course. Depending on the extremely busy queen, right?" the rower asked, continuing to paddle the ship toward the other side. Lulu groaned.

"Aw man, what if she's too busy to help us?" Lulu asked.

"Don't worry, we'll make sure that someone can find Burly for us." Tippi reassured, smiling weakly to make sure that Lulu and Peach weren't going to flip out. Mute smiled at Tippi's reassurance, obviously hiding the fact that he was nervous of Burly's outcome as well. Knowing him, he probably didn't even know he was dead. The boat finally docked to the other side, and everyone got off quickly, trying not to rock the boat too violently.

"I assume you have no tip." The rower said, glaring at Tippi. She shook her head, but Peach stepped forward. She reached her hands into her uniform pockets, drawing out a gold coin and handing it to him.

"There you go." She said, smiling. The rower smiled back.

"Thanks, ma'am." He said, bowing his head to Peach before preparing to row back to the other side. Tippi looked up at the palace stairs, beginning to scale the first few steps. She noticed that something was different about it this time. The D-Men that were there before were gone, and the palace was quitter than before. Tippi lead the group up the stairs and back to where Queen Jaydes was seated. Her gaze turned right to the Heroes as they approached.

"You have returned so quickly? But you are missing one member!" Jaydes said, surprised. Tippi nodded.

"That's why we came back. Queen Jaydes, can you locate our last hero?" Tippi asked. Jaydes thought about it for a little bit, but nodded.

"Yes, I can. However, it has a price." Queen Jaydes explained.

"What do you want?" Tippi asked, hoping it wasn't going to be too hard to get. Queen Jaydes thought about it for a long while, pondering over things she wanted.

"Hmmm…ah…no…" Jaydes was in thought for a long time, but she suddenly figured out what she needed. "Ah-ha! Yes, that's perfect." She turned to Lulu and moved toward the fourth Hero. "You are Lulu, correct?" she asked. Lulu nodded, her body shaking in presence of the queen of death.

"I-I am." Lulu answered, her voice shaking.

"Excellent. You are the fourth Hero, Luigi as well. However, there is a deadly power within you. In order for me to successfully find your friend, I only ask for this in return. Whenever you see that jester, Dimentio…run. Run as far away as you can." Jaydes explained sternly.

"That's _it_? That's easy!" Lulu said, smiling with relief. Jaydes did not seem to react happily to her smile.

"It is not that simple, Lulu!" Jaydes yelled. "There are invisible strings wrapped around your limbs, ready to drag you to him if needed! Count Bleck has turned you into a puppet to his power…the power of the Chaos Heart!"

Tippi's eyes widened. That day she figured out that Burly and Peach were heroes was the same day that the Chaos Heart placed an orb of weird energy into Lulu's body. Maybe this was connected! She knew it had to be bad!

"I…I don't understand." Lulu said, looking away from Jaydes. The queen of death glared.

"Ah, but you do. You're aware that they _want _you for their process of destroying every dimension, correct?" Jaydes asked. Lulu slowly nodded.

"Yeah, I know that. But I don't understand why _**I **_have to be the one they need!" Lulu exclaimed.

"The Fourth Hero, Luigi is a strange one. The Dark and Light Prognosticus refers to you as the 'one in green'. The 'one in green' is the only neutral force that is spoken of in both versions of the Prognosticus. You can fit perfectly into either legend, Lulu." Jaydes said. "If you follow the path of light, you will aid the Heroes in destroying the Chaos Heart and the Void. However, if you find yourself walking the path of darkness, you find yourself the perfect vessel for the Chaos Heart, in which you are used to destroy everything and everyone." Jaydes said, her voice deep and serious.

"No…I can't…" Lulu was horrified.

"Promise you will run as you see that jester's monochrome mask?" Jaydes asked. Lulu slowly nodded, but she seemed to hesitate. That confused Tippi.

'_Why did she hesitate? With learning this, I would never say 'no' to a promise like that…_' Tippi thought, worried for her friend.

The thing was, Tippi did not know the whole truth. The whole truth that Lulu kept to herself this entire time. Jaydes did not speak up about it, for she found that it was not needed.

"Now, I shall locate your friend." Jaydes said, smiling. She began to walk away from the group, but she was stopped by a D-Man who seemed to be out of breath.

"Y-Your grace!" the D-Man bowed to the queen quickly before speaking. "There's a horrible monster in the chambers below, and he's trying to get out! He's really powerful and can breathe fire!" the D-Man exclaimed.

"Wait! Did you say fire?" that caught Peach's attention. The D-Man nodded.

"Yeah, but why do you care? The monster doesn't concern you!" the D-Man argued. Jaydes hushed him with a hand before his face.

"It actually concerns her the most, my loyal D-Man. Please keep the monster stationary until these young Heroes arrive to deal with him." Jaydes told him, which made him jump.

"Them?! They're just kids! What can they do?" the D-Man asked, his eyes wide. Jaydes glared.

"You will follow my orders!" Jaydes roared. The D-Man jumped and scrambled back.

"Y-Yes, of course!" he turned to the Heroes. "Please, come with me." He told them, leading them towards a nearby door that seemed to have a spiral staircase heading down into the cellar.

"Let's go get our last hero!" Tippi said, smiling. Mute nodded, giving the group a thumb's up. Peach and Lulu nodded as a reaction to both of their actions, heading down into the cellar to find Burly.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

"Gaaaah…where am I?!"

The annoyed Burly transformed into Bowser and was now bashing his head against the cell wall that kept him contained. Several D-Men were trying to hold up the door so he would not escape. They feared his power as a Hero, unaware that this boy would help to save the world. He groaned again, trying to ram against the cell door.

"I'm tired and I'm hungry!" Bowser yelled, glaring at the wall. "Plus it's dark and cold down here!" he complained before noticing that several figures were running down the stairs. He knew those figures, and the sight of the blonde-haired princess brightened up his day.

"Peach! My lovely Peach! You're here to rescue me!" he said with a grin. However, it faded as he saw Mute and the others. "Awww, great! My romantic moment is ruined!" Bowser complained, glaring at the silent boy.

"Romantic moment?" Lulu and Tippi questioned, staring at each other in confusion. They both shrugged and allowed the D-Man who led them here to explain things.

"According to Queen Jaydes, these kids are here to deal with the monster." The D-Man explained to the others.

"Is she serious?" asked one of them.

"They're just teenagers! What can they do?" asked another. The D-Man who led the group down sighed.

"Look, it's on strict orders of the Queen, so you're gonna have to let him out." The D-Man explained.

"Okay, you're nuts!" The first D-Man guard said, rushing before the door to protect it. The other D-Men followed him, barricading the door. Peach groaned and Mute moved ahead of her to try and do something. He took out his notepad and wrote a quick note, some of the handwriting slurring onto the ends of the page.

_We __**really **__need to rescue him. He'll just get rowdy if you keep him in there. Let us handle it._

The D-Men let out a loud laugh, yet another bash on the door from Bowser made them stop laughing. Mute took out his transformation item, placing the red cap on his head. The light surrounded him as he transformed into the Hero, Mario. Lulu and Peach stared in awe at his actions, wondering what he was planning on doing. Mario took out his hammer, ready to take action if needed.

"Guys, this is under the _order _of Queen Jaydes! Let them through!" their guide yelled, annoyed with how long it was taking to get Bowser out of the cell. The guard D-Men all groaned, moving away from the door.

"Your death." They all said in unison. Mario stepped forward, opening the door carefully. With a creaking sound, the door was open completely and Bowser stormed out. He roared, blasting fire over in Mario's direction. He jumped back, using his hammer as a small barrier.

"You're dead, Mute! I'm gonna kick your ass so hard you're gonna be sent to the complete dead bottom of the Underwhere!" Bowser yelled, taking in a breath to exhale fire at his opponent. Mario jumped back, holding out his hand and revealing his palm to Bowser. The red barrier trapped the monstrous Hero, making him roar even louder.

"Why do I always lose?!" he asked, now taking on a whining and immature tone to his voice. Peach sighed.

"We were worried about you, and don't blame Mute for getting us separated." Peach stated, knowing that Bowser was going to start a pointless argument with him. Bowser sighed, giving into Peach's words. Lulu snickered, while Tippi smiled.

"Whoa, you really do have power!" one of the guard D-Men spoke up, noticing Mario's choice in handling the "beast". Mario rolled his eyes and let the barrier fade away. Bowser groaned, falling to his feet.

"This sucks! I never win!" Bowser complained.

"Oh, shut your trap." Lulu snapped back. "At least you should be thankful that we came to save you." She explained. Bowser sighed, glaring at the ground. Mario deactivated his transformation and turned back to face the group.

"We need to go back to see Queen Jaydes!" Tippi told the group, nearing the stairs that lead back up to the queen's throne room. The D-Men stood in total awe, wondering how they were able to control Bowser so easily.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

Bowser had turned back into Burly, muttering to himself about how everything seemed to be stupid and pointless and how much he disliked Mute for trapping him in the barrier and blah, blah, blah, etc. He glared over toward the red-capped boy, but soon found his gaze softening as his eyes fell on Peach. She seemed to be remotely worried that he went missing.

'_Maybe she does care after all!_' Burly thought in triumph, getting confidence again. "TAKE THAT, MUTE!" Burly yelled. Mario turned around and gave him a strange look. Shrugging, Mario let it go over his head and turned back to Lulu and Peach.

Tippi, who was in front of the group, was in the deepest point of her thoughts. Everything that had been happening…everything that occurred here in the Underwhere…it all opened her eyes completely. She even began to remember the events that Merlumina told her about! All of those blissful moments with Blumiere, and how weak she was when his father sent her away to wander dimensions until she stumbled upon Flipside.

What really made her think was that it all happened two years ago. How long had it been since Merlon erased those memories? She wanted to ask him as soon as she got back. She wondered if he was expecting her to ask eventually. The mysteries of how Merlon knew her name when they crossed paths were no longer mysteries. Everything was beginning to make sense, and it began to make a path curl up ahead in her mind. It was up to her to decide on what to do once she learned of what fate would come to these dimensions. Count Bleck, no, Blumiere, would have to be destroyed, wouldn't he?

'_I don't want to destroy him. Everyone deserves a second chance…_' Tippi thought, the mere imagination of her being the one to bring an end to her beloved Blumiere setting horror in her mind. She knew she had to figure out a way that everyone could live. All of the innocent people had to have a second chance.

"I see you've finally found them." Queen Jaydes smiled at their arrival. The Heroes and Tippi stood, ready to see how they could get out of here.

"Wait, that's the Queen of Death!" Burly exclaimed, his eyes wide with fear.

"I told you he wouldn't know that we were in the Underwhere." Peach whispered to Lulu. The two girls snickered. Queen Jaydes laughed and smiled at Burly.

"Ah, the simply naïve Hero Bowser. I've longed to meet you for the longest time." Jaydes explained, soon turning back to face Tippi. "I see you've been collecting your thoughts. However, such idealistic intentions are never always the best. Not everyone is innocent, no matter how much you may try and fool yourself. We all may look from different points of view, but in the end, the one who does the selfish things is the one that falls." Jaydes explained. Tippi sighed, which made the group confused.

"I know. But Blumiere…" Tippi wanted to argue. She didn't want to see him die, much less be the person to kill him.

"He may not be the one you need to destroy. Look ahead with keen eyes." Jaydes warned. Lulu seemed to look away from the group, scratching the back of her head nervously. Jaydes looked at each Hero carefully.

"Mute, leader of the Heroes. Short, yet courageous. Peach, purest of the Heroes. Naïve, yet noble. Burly, strongest of the Heroes. Monstrous, yet full of good intentions. Lulu, nimblest of the Heroes. Full of light, yet can be corrupted to fall to the other side. And finally, Timpani, guardian of the Heroes. You may not be a hero, yet you still hold great power." Jaydes named off the Heroes in order, smiling proudly.

"I will send you back to the world above, in the pocket between dimensions that you have lived in before…" Jaydes said, holding up her hand. A portal generated above her, shaped like a star. The loud roaring of the portal made the Heroes cover their ears. They clamped their hands over their ears and stared up at the portal.

"Your games are not over…" Jaydes chanted. "EXTRA LIFE!" she shouted, the portal beginning to glow with an amazing light that seemed to almost surpass the light of the Pure Hearts. The Heroes' bodies began to levitate off the Underwhere floor and toward the portal. One by one, each one disappeared in the light that engulfed them. Tippi's wings began to glow, as she was the last one to teleport away from the Underwhere, suddenly leaving nothing but dust that fell to the ground. Jaydes closed her eyes and looked down to the earth.

"Heroes of the Light Prognosticus, I support you. Mute, Peach, Burly, Lulu, and Timpani…never give in! If you show your face back here, I will not let you go back again!" Jaydes yelled, opening her eyes and seeing many D-Men before her, bowing in her honor.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

"Oww…" Timpani had returned to her human form and awoke on the street of her "home" town. She placed a hand on the pavement below her and tried to get herself up. The other four Heroes stood nearby, looking up at the sky. It took a few seconds for Timpani to realize that something was very wrong.

"Why is the sky brown? Is it night?" Timpani questioned. Mute shook his head, holding up a note he had previously written to the others.

_This isn't Flipside._

**Next time...**

_With five Pure Hearts and all of the Heroes, we're close to bringing down Count Bleck! But, I don't want to kill Blumiere, Lulu's got a huge secret, and we're stuck in this dimension that's the opposite of Flipside! We need help finding the last three Pure Hearts, so maybe Merlon's other self can tell us how! We need to hurry though; the Void's growing larger every day! I can only pray that we can find the Hearts before it's far too late!_

Coming soon!

Episode Seven: Trapped in Flopside! The Secret of the Fourth Hero

**(Author's Notes: The hint for the secret stuff is that it has to do with Lulu/Luigi. I bet you NEVER saw that one coming, right? XD By the way, Lulu will start being called Luigi when she's in her heroine form from now on. She just never learned her Hero name yet. Ciao until next time!)  
**


	7. Episode Seven

**(Author's Notes: And here comes another chapter! This one seems to be a little like a filler chapter, but this being a short story and all, no chapter is truly a filler. This chappie shall focus a little more on the two other main pairings in the story, and I'm sure you can guess what those two are. –cough- Do enjoy!)**

**F L I P . / . F L O P  
**

"I never knew the holder of the Chaos Heart would be a _girl_."

"Life is full of surprises, is it not, Mimi?"

"You're weird, Dimentio. You've been guarding her unconscious body for hours now."

"Tsk tsk tsk. If she tried to escape, our whole plan would be shattered into pieces."

"Yeah, the Count _would _be upset."

"Indeed he would. All of that work would go to waste…"

"Uh-oh, I've got to go. Remember what Nastasia told you."

"Of course. Ciao, Mimi!"

_Silence._

"How foolish and simple minded. Soon, _I _will be the ruler of all dimensions. This shall be Bleck's finale, and she is the key to it all."

**Episode Seven: Trapped in Flopside! The Secret of the Fourth Hero**

This world was completely different than Flipside. That was speaking literally, too. As the Heroes took glances around the city, they saw similar homes and shops to the ones in Flipside. However, they were shaded in darker colors and even the people seemed to frown more. The aura of the city was even damp and gloomy, unlike Flipside's naturally cheerful energy. What confused the Heroes the most was the fact that the buildings looked exactly like the ones they knew in Flipside, but they were located in the exact opposite direction that they were used to.

"I think I'm lost already…" Lulu complained.

"How did we end up here? This isn't Flipside!" Timpani exclaimed, looking around in fear that they wouldn't find their way back to their home dimension.

"Jaydes did say 'pocket within dimensions', but she didn't say Flipside specifically." Peach noted, remembering what Queen Jaydes told them before they were warped out of the Underwhere.

"Everyone's glaring at us. We should probably keep moving." Lulu whispered to the others. She noticed how everyone gave them cold and nasty looks as they passed by, unlike the typical smiles they received in Flipside. The others nodded, heading straight ahead of them.

"This looks very similar to Flipside, so I can only assume that there are several floors." Peach muttered. Burly looked ahead of her to see the elevators that headed up and down.

"I can see some elevators over here." Burly notified the group. "What floor are we on?" he asked, unaware of how high they were in this strange, new world. Timpani looked up, seeing two floors above them. One was hidden beneath the first floor she saw, making it harder for her to realize this fact sooner.

"I think we're on the first floor." Timpani said, looking back to the group.

"Is there a place around here that sells food? I'm starving." Lulu randomly raised her hand and stated an unrelated fact. Burly nodded in agreement.

"Greeny's actually got a good point this time. I could go for a hamburger." Burly said, licking his lips.

"Come to think of it, we haven't had food in a while." Peach remembered that it had been a long time since that trip to Saffron's where they found the third Pure Heart. Mute heard his own stomach rumble, which cued that it was really time for the group to get something to eat. However, it worried them all. Being in a strange dimension that looked very similar to home sent goose bumps down their backs, hoping that the food wouldn't be terrible or something like that. As the group walked down the road of the first floor, they saw a restaurant that bared a same resemblance to Saffron's.

"Um, does that place look familiar?" Lulu asked Timpani. Timpani nodded.

"It looks like the place we eat at every other day." Timpani explained. "Saffron's."

"Oh geez, let's hope that the food is decent." Burly said, stomping into the restaurant without hesitation. It seemed to be pretty run down, even though it was crowded. It wasn't nearly as cheery as Saffron's, but seemed to have its own aura of success brewing to it. A waiter noticed the arrival of the kids and headed toward them.

"Welcome to Dyllis'. Table for five?" he asked, counting all of the teenagers in the group. Timpani nodded. "Right this way." He led them over to a large table and allowed them to take their seats.

"Today's special is a shroom roast with a side of healthy salad." The waiter explained. "However, I suggest you try other things since that special's been there for quite some time now. Does anyone want a certain beverage?" he asked, looking over the group curiously.

"I'll have Sky Juice…" Timpani said sheepishly. The waiter heard her quiet tone and laughed.

"Sorry, but we don't serve things that are made with only one item." The waiter explained.

"Really?" Timpani asked, surprised. "Um, okay…" she looked on the menu, now noticing that Sky Juice wasn't there. She pondered over the list carefully, searching for a beverage that suited her tastes. It was very hard, since nothing seemed to appeal to her. This went the same for the other Heroes.

"This place is weird…" Burly whispered to Peach. Peach sighed.

"Just don't freak out. If you start burning down buildings, that's when we'll be concerned for our status here." Lulu heard him and whispered back to him. Burly glared at her.

"I'll just come back when you have your order ready." The waiter said, seeing that none of them had any idea of what they wanted to drink or eat. He walked away, leaving the Heroes to discuss things on their own. There was silence again before Burly spoke up.

"This sucks. How are we going to get back to Flipside?" Burly asked, pounding his fists on the table. Everyone thought for a little bit, each sighing in unison.

"Maybe there's someone here who can help us find our way back." Timpani finally said, trying to raise everyone's spirits. "There's got to be someone here that knows. I mean, Merlon knew about other Dimensions too, I'm sure. And maybe we're not that far away from Flipside! We just need to find that one person who can somehow send us back." Timpani reassured.

"Or we could kill ourselves and tell Jaydes to send us back to Flipside." Lulu suggested.

"That's not going to work." Peach said, trying not to head in that direction. "That seems a little too desperate."

"We're pretty desperate to get back to Flipside." Lulu argued.

"Maybe Jaydes sent us here for a reason." Peach suddenly said, thinking of something new. "She wouldn't send us here by accident just because this may also be a pocket between dimensions. Perhaps there's a Pure Heart here that we need!"

"Aah! Why didn't I think of that?" Burly asked, surprised at Peach's statement. Mute began to write something down in his notepad, but Peach shook her head 'no' to stop him. It was probably some insult that Mute really needed to tell him.

"Where could it be, though?" Timpani asked, getting out her rod. Her heart keychain wasn't reacting inside the restaurant.

"Hey, Timpani…" Lulu spoke up, suddenly noticing something. Timpani looked up at Lulu and away from her rod.

"What's up?" Timpani asked.

"You aren't wearing your glasses. I just noticed that, but…what happened? Are you having trouble seeing?" Lulu asked. Timpani's eyes widened in shock.

Her glasses weren't on her face. Was this another thing Jaydes did? Or maybe it was the fact that she regained her memories?

"I…I don't know." Timpani answered, shaking her head.

"Oh yeah, I just noticed that too." Burly said, realizing that there was no glass covering her two, blue eyes.

"You look cuter without your glasses, Timpani." Peach stated out of the blue. Timpani turned red.

"Oh, uh, thanks." Timpani wasn't sure what to say to that, but she moved on back to the topic they were talking about before. "If we need to search this place for a Pure Heart, we need to do it quickly. As soon as we eat something, we can go looking for the sixth Pure Heart."

"It's probably hidden well." Lulu warned. Timpani nodded.

"What if there's more than one?" Peach asked. The group turned to her, confused.

"What do you mean?" Lulu asked.

"Timpani, wasn't there more than one in Flipside?" Peach asked. Timpani thought about it, starring at the small versions of the Pure Hearts in her rod.

"Well, Merlon gave me the first one. Merlee gave me the second. I found the third in Saffron's. The fourth was with King Croacus, and the fifth was given to me by Merlumina." Timpani explained.

"Who's Merlumina? You've never mentioned her before." Peach had never heard Merlumina's name, which made Timpani remember that she hadn't told them about Blumiere and her.

"Oh…" Timpani trailed off. "I met her in the Underwhere. She…explained a few things to me." Timpani said.

"Like what?" Burly asked impatiently. He didn't seem to carry one bit of interest in this Merlumina, but more in what she told her. Timpani took in a deep breath and turned to Lulu.

"She told me that I never grew up in Flipside." She explained. Lulu let out a nervous laugh, thinking she was joking.

"C'mon, Timpani! Of course you grew up in Flipside! We met in sixth grade and were the best of friends!" Lulu reassured her.

"No, that's not true." Timpani said, shaking her head. "I'm not joking here. Lulu, I came from a different dimension. No one is truly born in Flipside. You probably weren't born there either!" Timpani exclaimed. Lulu backed off. The issue became very serious now.

"What did she tell you?" Peach asked, very concerned.

"…A lot of things." Timpani explained. "Merlon found me unconscious in Flipside two years ago, and he rewrote my memories so I wouldn't wander Dimensions anymore. He gave me the memory of a normal citizen of Flipside, making me believe that I had a past there." Timpani explained.

"If your past wasn't in Flipside, then where was it?" Lulu asked, wondering what sort of past Timpani had.

"I can only remember vague bits and pieces, but Merlumina told me the main things that happened." Timpani began. "You guys remember Blumiere, right?" Timpani questioned. The Heroes nodded.

"He was really Count Bleck…wasn't he?" Peach asked. Timpani nodded, taking a deep breath.

"It turns out that I knew him before I met him in class. I knew him very well. We…we were from different tribes. He was the prince of the Tribe of Darkness, while I was a human girl known as Lady Timpani. We fell in love, but it wasn't accepted. Blumiere's father sent me away from their world and sent me to Flipside. In sadness, Blumiere…took up the Dark Prognosticus." Timpani seemed to be at the edge of tears.

"Timpani…" Lulu whispered, trying to comfort her friend.

"Why would he want to destroy everything then? Does he know that you are the one he loved?" Peach asked, her eyes watering too. She seemed to be very sensitive toward her friend's stories and feelings. Timpani sniffled.

"Merlumina told me that he used the power of the book to try and search for me. However, he couldn't find me since Flipside was a dimension almost impossible to reach. It was intended that his father sent me there. But, he gave up. So, he vowed revenge against the world who separated us and made sure that we were never together. He plans to destroy the dimensions because he finds them meaningless without…without me to be there for him." Timpani broke out into tears, guilt swarming around her mind and heart.

"Timpani, it's not your fault…" Peach said, seeing that she was very hurt by this. Timpani's head fell into her hands as tears leaked out through the slots between her fingers. Mute came over to their side to help comfort Timpani, but Burly remained on the other side and just stared with concern.

"It is…" Timpani whispered. "Everything is going to be destroyed, and it was all because I couldn't remember who Blumiere was. I bet if I remembered in time, this whole mess would have cleared up!" Timpani sobbed.

"Timpani, you weren't the one who decided that your memories had to be erased. You weren't the one who decided that you had to leave Blumiere's side all because of an irrational fear." Lulu explained, trying to snap Timpani out of her sadness. "It was forced upon you, just like this journey to find us. But, although it was forced upon you, you were still able to carry on and do it. I don't have any doubt that if you found Count Bleck and told him that you remember everything, that everything could be put to an end." Lulu tried to reassure that everything was going to be okay. But was her reasoning truly that simple? The Heroes thought that over.

"Thank you, Lulu…" Timpani said, giving her best friend a hug. Lulu returned it gratefully, happy that her friend would recover.

"He's probably still searching for you, and he knows that you will come back to him and make everything right." Lulu explained. Mute smiled, nodding his head. Timpani finally let go of her friend and wiped the tears from her face.

"We…we should probably order some food now." Timpani said, her stomach rumbling again. Peach turned to Burly, who nodded violently.

"Finally! Now for some eating time!" Burly exclaimed, happy that all of the serious stuff was over.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

"Ugh, I'm so bored!" Mimi complained from the dark lair of Castle Noir, leaning against the wall with a pile of magazines discarded next to her. "I wonder if Count Bleck is going to send me on a mission soon…" she muttered to herself.

"'Oy, Mimi!" came the gruff voice of O'Chunks. Mimi groaned.

"Oh, not you." Mimi complained, turning away from the Scottish warrior as he arrived before her.

"Th' count hasn't spoken ta us in a while, lass." O'Chunks said, concern in his deep voice. Mimi perked up.

"Yeah, I know. But he's back to normal after that whole 'Dimentio killing Timpani' thing. That girl was totally not who he was looking for. The girl that was his lover was probably like a goddess or something." Mimi said, smirking.

"I know, but ya gotta listen. Dimentio's been actin' weird too." O'Chunks whispered. Mimi rolled her eyes.

"Why do I care about that jester? He's nothing but trouble to the Count. I think he's going to do something bad." Mimi hissed.

"Yeah, but…" O'Chunks looked around the room quickly to make sure that Dimentio wasn't there listening or something. "Ye remember when we captured that green lass, right?" he whispered. Mimi's eyes widened.

"You mean Ms. L?" Mimi asked. "What about her?"

"I think he's…ya know…kind of…obsessed wit' her." O'Chunks stated, trying to explain what he was noticing with the jester.

"Obsessed?" Mimi asked, unsure of what he meant.

"My, my? What is this gossip?" O'Chunks and Mimi froze as Dimentio revealed himself in the room, smirking.

"What did I miss? Did Nastasia get some new glasses? Or maybe you bought a new outfit? Do tell, do tell!" Dimentio said, his twisted smile curling longer across his face. Mimi laughed nervously.

"Oh, it's nothing! We were just concerned for the Count, that's all." Mimi came up with an excuse to try and throw Dimentio off.

"He's back to his normal, insane self if that's what the norm for him is." Dimentio said, insulting Count Bleck without a care.

"He isn't insane!" Mimi yelled.

"Ya should have respect fer yer master!" O'Chunks yelled, glaring at Dimentio. The jester held up his hands in defense.

"Be calm! I was only teasing." Dimentio said, his smile fading a little. "Besides, insane isn't used in such a negative way. You two need to do something, right?" Dimentio asked. O'Chunks and Mimi looked at each other nervously.

"I thought so." Dimentio said, chuckling. "The Heroes are three Hearts away from coming here, and I just thought we should go warn the Count that a certain golden heroine may be arriving here soon…?" Dimentio hinted.

"Wait! Are you saying that…they survived the world's explosion? How the hell is that possible?" Mimi asked in disbelief. O'Chunks' jaw dropped. Dimentio laughed, levitating above the two minions.

"Queen Jaydes is quite forgiving, it seems. She allowed them to live, but sent them to Flopside instead of Flipside. You know what's in Flopside, right?" Dimentio asked. "Two things we don't want them to get."

"I'll beat 'em ta th' ground!" O'Chunks threatened, ready to go to Flopside and beat them down.

"That is not needed, O'Chunks." Dimentio told him. "If you do not have the courage to tell Count Bleck that she is coming, then I will do the honor." Dimentio said, disappearing. Mimi and O'Chunks looked at each other, very nervous.

"What's going to happen?" Mimi asked.

"I dunno." O'Chunks said, scratching his orange beard.

"Um, hey." Nastasia appeared before the two minions, making O'Chunks jump about nine feet in the air. He strangely didn't hit the ceiling, for it was a little higher. "The Count wants to see everyone, 'K? It's important, obviously." Nastasia told them.

"That jester's fast." Mimi whispered.

"What was that, Mimi?" Nastasia asked, glancing back at the green girl. Mimi giggled nervously.

"Oh, it was nothing, Nassy!" Mimi said, smiling. Nastasia shrugged and kept moving toward where Count Bleck was in the next room. O'Chunks and Mimi were unaware of how much chaos Dimentio was preparing to stir into this.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

"Okay, so let's see…"

"I think we should go this way."

"Nuh-uh! We should go that way!"

"Stop arguing. Give me the god damn map!"

"SHUT UP!"

Mute was so glad that he didn't talk, for everyone was arguing over the map of this new world that they had bought in a nearby store. Strangely enough, even the map didn't tell them the name of the world they were in. Burly wanted to go a certain way, while Peach wanted to go the other. It was the first time that Burly disagreed with Peach over something. Timpani was the one holding onto the map, trying to make sure that everyone didn't rip it a part.

"C'mon guys, we need to find the one person who can get us out of here. Maybe there's some kind of fortune teller here." Timpani looked on the map, trying to find a fortuneteller. She remembered that there was one fortuneteller back in Flipside. Her name was Merluvlee. She looked very similar to Merlee and Merlon. Maybe she was related to them. However, Timpani had only gone to see her a couple of times. Since this place resembled Flipside so much, maybe it was logical that a fortuneteller was here too.

"We need to go to the second floor." Timpani noted, moving toward the elevators.

"Why there?" Burly asked, wanting to go to the basement levels.

"Because I think we might find some help there." Timpani explained. She pointed to the fortuneteller's house on the map, showing that it was at the left end of the second floor. Burly scoffed.

"Yeah, like some witch is going to tell us how to get back to Flipside or tell us where the hearts are." Burly grunted. Peach thought for a moment, trying to think of a way to compromise. She knew that Burly was far too stubborn to do anything more.

"Why don't we split up? We can cover more ground that way." Peach suggested. Lulu nodded.

"Sounds good." She agreed. Burly shrugged.

"I guess…" he tried to keep his tough personality, although he almost always wanted to agree with Peach. Timpani agreed as well, glad that there wasn't going to be too much more arguing that would end up in the map being ripped in two.

"But only if I go with Peach!" Burly suddenly blurted out.

"Um, okay…" Peach smiled nervously, finding that in order to make peace for the group, there were going to be some sacrifices.

"We only have five people." Lulu stated.

"Then one of you can go alone!" Burly yelled back. Lulu backed off and turned to Mute.

"You can't talk, so you should go with someone." Lulu said, pointing to Mute. Mute rolled his eyes, but soon thought about what he wanted to do. He pointed at Lulu.

"Um, okay. I'll go with you. Timpani…?" Lulu looked over to her best friend. Timpani nodded.

"It's okay. I'll go alone. I can cover the second floor." Timpani called the second floor for inspection.

"We'll take the third floor and look on the remainder of the first floor." Lulu announced.

"And we can go to the two basement floors!" Burly said, grinning. "C'mon, let's get a move on!" Burly said triumphantly, leading the pink heroine away from the group. Like an immature child, Burly stuck his tongue out at Mute while Peach wasn't looking. Mute sighed silently, turning back to Lulu. However, Lulu was talking with Timpani.

"If you need help, we can help you look around." Lulu offered.

"No, it's fine. You guys have two floors to look on anyway." Timpani said with a smile. "We'll meet up back here in an hour, right?" Timpani asked.

"An hour's good." Lulu said, showing a thumb's up. Timpani waved to them as she went to the elevator, taking it one floor up. This left Mute and Lulu to themselves.

"So, where to?" Lulu asked him. Mute shrugged, having no clue what was in this world. Lulu thought about the subject for a little while. She finally thought of something important.

"We should probably figure out where the heck we are. The name, I mean." Lulu said. Mute nodded in agreement, walking toward the nearby wall that divided the other half of the first floor. A large hole was blasted at the end, revealing another side to the first floor. The two teenagers made their way past the wall and on the other side of the first floor, looking around.

"It's so weird that everything is on the opposite side that it is in Flipside." Lulu said, laughing nervously afterwards. Mute smiled nervously, sharing her uneasy feelings of their location. Lulu walked over to a stranger who stood nearby one of the homes.

"Excuse me, but can you please tell us where we are?" Lulu asked, wondering how stupid she sounded. The stranger stared in confusion at the teenage girl.

"The first floor." He answered, unsure of what she meant.

"No, I mean, what's the name of this entire…area?" Lulu asked, really confused on what the entire dimension itself was called.

"Flopside?" the man asked.

"Yes, that. Thank you." Lulu said. Mute bowed his head in thanks to the stranger who watched them walk ahead of him and towards the center of the street.

"Okay, so this place is called Flopside. Wow, that sounds an awful lot like Flipside." Lulu said, her common sense kicking in. Mute wrote something in his notepad quickly.

_Yeah, it does. Maybe this is a parallel dimension to Flipside. Everything we know in Flipside is depicted here, only the opposite. _

"Right!" Lulu said, believing Mute's hypothesis. "Okay, so that helps a little. Wait, I wonder if that counts for people too…" Lulu thought aloud. Mute arched his left eyebrow. He wasn't sure of what she meant.

"Maybe Merlon is here, but it's not really Merlon! Maybe it's like…Merlon's opposite." Lulu said, smiling. Mute thought for a moment, soaking in her logic. He shrugged. There was no reason to be right or wrong right away.

"I bet there's also another Merlee too. That was her name, right? Merlee? Man, I'm so disappointed I never got to meet the real Merlon. He sounds awesome." Lulu rambled. Mute wrote something down in his notepad.

_He's very wise, but he seems to be reading the Light Prognosticus a lot. I don't blame him if it's the only tool that can save the worlds, but I think he needs to get out more. _

Lulu smiled, but she didn't laugh. The words 'Light Prognosticus' made her think. Mute noticed that she wasn't reacting so strongly to his comment, which made him concerned. He wrote something else down in his notepad.

_Is something wrong?_

That caught her attention.

"Oh, no. I'm fine." Lulu objected, trying her best to smile.

_Liar. _

Lulu glared at his notepad. "Look, there's just been something bothering me ever since I woke up in the Floro Mines, injured from a huge bump on my head. Dammit, I wonder what happened to me…" Lulu had no clue that she was hypnotized and turned into Ms. L, but Mute tried to hide his guilt for being the one who struck her on the head with a hammer. She knew that Mute expected for her to tell him what was bothering her, but it was very complicated.

"It's really hard to explain, though. I don't think you'd understand." Lulu stated. This made Mute very interested.

_Try me. _

Lulu sighed. "Oh, where to begin…"

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

Deep in the basement levels of Flopside, Burly and Peach were on the edge of the outskirts where they were technically not in Flopside bounds. Staring off into the dead patches of grass and weeds, they were searching for a lost cause. Peach really had no clue of why Burly wanted to search out in the middle of this place, since it had no buildings or people. Maybe a few animals scurried by every so often, but other than that, the basement level outskirts were really boring places to be in.

"Burly, let's just go find the others. There's nothing down here." Peach finally complained after ten minutes.

"I think there's something down here." Burly explained, looking around the abandoned stones and marble-cut rocks. Peach groaned. This was one of the only times she really got annoyed. When pointless things came into context. If there was nothing truly there, then she got impatient. Usually, the roles were reversed. However, Peach found no meaning in searching these grounds. That was, until something did catch her eye.

"What's this over here?" Peach asked, seeing a large hole underneath a perfectly cut piece of marble shaped like a cube. She attempted to push it aside to get the entire hole visible, but the marble was far too heavy. Burly moved over toward her, motioning for her to stand aside. With great strength, he pushed it aside like it was nothing.

"It's just a hole." Burly said. He looked down it to see that it was much larger than a normal hole. It seemed to be a tunnel leading deeper into the basement level outskirts. Perhaps this was their clue.

"Should we go look down there?" Peach asked. Burly nodded, jumping down first.

"Whoa…it's kinda deep." Burly said loudly back up to her. Peach looked down, not wanting to injure herself if she jumped in right away.

"Um, I'll jump in now…" Peach muttered, allowing herself to fall into the hole with little hesitation as possible. She expected a harsh landing to have a small impact on her feet, but instead she found herself landing carefully within the arms of Burly who was able to catch her at the exact right time.

"Aren't you so glad I'm here?" Burly asked, a grin spread wide across his face. Obviously his ego got in the way of his polite behavior, but Peach was glad that she didn't actually injure her lower body leaping down into a tunnel.

"Sure, Burly. Sure." Peach said, smiling. "Put me down now, please." She said, remembering her own manners. Burly did so, looking further ahead into the tunnel. There was a faint light ahead, the light of a dark blue beacon.

"What is that?" Peach asked, wondering what it could be that laid ahead for them. Burly squinted his eyes, trying to move forward.

"I think that's a Pure Heart…" Burly muttered.

"That's way too easy…" Peach said, smiling happily that they were able to find it like that.

"But we need to take it back to Timpani so she can seal it in her rod." Burly reminded Peach. Peach nodded, remembering that it was impossible to keep them safe unless they were sealed within Timpani's rod. The two approached the Pure Heart carefully, trying to not be blinded by the indigo light it emitted.

"Pure Heart number six?" Peach questioned. Burly nodded.

"How do we take this back to Timpani, though?" Burly asked, wondering how they would have to deliver a Pure Heart all the way back to their friend. Peach thought about it.

"Let's just hang onto it. Maybe we can put it in your bottomless pocket." Peach joked, walking back through the tunnel. Burly stood on his own, staring at the Pure Heart with awe. He smirked by himself.

"I see what power these things have…" he muttered before following Peach towards the tunnel and back up to the basement outskirts.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

Arriving on the second floor of Flopside, Timpani headed straight to her left. She had to find this fortuneteller's place, no matter what. She knew that she would know where to go and what to do. There was no doubt in that at all.

"Let's see…" Timpani read the map carefully, finally arriving to the far left side of the second floor. She looked up, seeing the fortunetelling house. She took a deep breath in, folding the map up into a small square and placing it in her pocket. She wasn't going to need it in there. She approached the door slowly, opening it and peering inside. As she expected, it was dark. A thick, red mist was floating around the room. Hey, the person liked the scent of roses and cherries mixed together. That seemed to be the smell of the incense.

"Ah, what do we have here? Oh, a visitor! Come in, dear!" came a cheerful voice that Timpani knew right away. Her face lit up and she rushed into the red mist to see the female guide that she met on her second day of school.

"Merlee! What are you doing here?" Timpani asked, so glad to see someone she knew. Merlee laughed.

"Oh, I am everywhere! However, I have been given word to give you and your friends the utmost care. You shouldn't go teleporting into the blue! Timpani, Merlon and I have been looking all over for you!" Merlee said, concern in her voice.

"Yeah, a lot happened." Timpani said, nodding.  
"I should say. Just try not to worry us anymore, okay?" Merlee asked, keeping up her pattern of rhyming. Timpani nodded.

"Merlee, do you know what happened with us? With our trip to another dimension and then to the Underwhere? And with me and Merlumina…?" Timpani asked. Merlee nodded, standing up before her crystal ball.

"Nothing can be hid from me; I see all. I saw everything from you chatting with my distant descendant to that terrible brawl. You must understand that nothing will be easy from now on. Give up now, and this dimension and more will be gone." Merlee explained, her face grim.

"I came to you seeking an answer. A way to find the last three Pure Hearts and face off Count Bleck. I need to find him and stop this!" Timpani exclaimed.

"Courageous and noble, which you are. However, you seem to be concealing feelings within you, tight and bound like a jar." Merlee saw right through Timpani's exclaimation, which made Timpani nervous.

"I just don't want to hurt Blumiere. I…"

"Love him?" Merlee asked. Timpani nodded slowly.

"I am not that dim." Merlee chuckled. "Indeed, I can help you. But not in the way you think. Do what I tell you to do." Merlee explained. Timpani nodded, determined to try and get everything done. Merlee cleared her throat.

"Go to the house to the right of the Flopside Tower. There, you will find a man with a familiar power." Merlee instructed.

"To the right of Flopside Tower…got it." Timpani repeated to herself, nodding her head.

"That is all I can tell you, however. The rest of this journey you must endeavor." Merlee said, bowing her head. Timpani felt like she didn't get as much information as she needed, but she trusted Merlee to guide her to someone who would know more than she did.

"Thanks." Timpani said, smiling. She waved as she walked out of the house, heading directly right to find the house that Merlee was speaking about. Walking down the pavement path, she was reminded of her first day at school when she and Lulu almost collided. The day when she meet her classmates and thought 'hey, these people may become my friends'. The day she first met Blumiere, and he came in late.

"What am I supposed to do?" Timpani asked herself as she walked towards the Flopside Tower, staring up at it. The Flopside tower resembled the Flipside Tower only a little, but it still triggered her memory of two days ago. Or maybe it was a day and a half…it was all happening way to quickly to her.

"If you keep regretting things, it will only come back to haunt you later." A male voice spoke up, making Timpani look to see where she was. She was standing in front of the very house that Merlee had guided her to, and the man standing before her was none other than…

"Merlon! I am so glad to see you!" Timpani exclaimed. However, this was not Merlon. This Merlon look-alike stared in confusion, but soon realized why she called him that name.

"Ah, no, miss. I am not Merlon. Merlon is in Flipside. My name is Nolrem." He introduced.

"O-okay." Timpani was now confused.

"Only four people in both Flipside and Flopside know that each dimension exists. While people in both dimensions believe that theirs is the only one, we four are the only people who know that the other is in existence. And now, you and the Heroes shall figure that out as well." Nolrem explained.

"Merlee told me I had to come to you." Timpani said, still trying to wrap her mind around the idea that there were two Merlons. One in Flipside, one in Flopside. Did that mean that Merluvlee and Merlee were opposites too? So many confusing questioned popped up in her head at once, making her mind spin.

"Yes. I do have what you seek; however, there are many things I must tell you first. As we speak, the Void is growing larger and larger each second. Soon, it will be big enough to destroy this dimension and Flipside all together. By finding the Pure Hearts, you will have the power to stop Count Bleck and his minions, including the Dark Prognosticus from sucking away all life from existence." Nolrem explained.

"However, there is a conflict." This statement caught Timpani by surprise.

"What?" Timpani asked.

"The strings have not yet been cut." Nolrem said. Timpani had no clue of what that meant.

"What does that mean?" Timpani asked, wondering why he would say such a thing.

"I'll leave you to figure that out." Nolrem said, smiling. "Now, come. I wish to talk with you inside about other things. I also have something I need to give you within."

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

"Right after Dimentio warped me away from the Flipside Tower, I woke up in this strange cell. It was cold and ominous to be in a place like that, but I was trapped in more than just the darkness. It was just like my nightmare that I had the previous night. I was wrapped in white strings, and I couldn't feel my body at all. I questioned myself if I was having the same nightmare, but no, my mind knew. I was awake, and the sight of that horrible jester made it all worse. Dimentio taunted me with his words, bargaining to try and set me free if I would accept the power of the Chaos Heart. He tried to convince me, but I refused. However, before he left, he told me that he would continue to haunt me until I came back to him to accept the power…"

There was nothing but an awkward silence. Awkward wasn't even the word to describe this silence, but there seemed to be any other word to describe it better. Mute's face was completely pale, and his eyes were shot wide open. Lulu was staring away from the small, silent boy, as her cheeks seemed to be tinted with a slight pink shade. Was it from embarrassment? Fear? Or perhaps something else…

"I'm sorry I had to tell you all that." Lulu whispered. Mute shook his head slowly, writing down the note in his notepad, but stopped in mid-sentence. For some reason, he couldn't exactly tell her what he wanted to say. He just stopped and put it away, just sighing silently.

"Mute, I'm scared…" Lulu's voice quivered. "I got myself into a huge mess." With those words, Mute immediately took his notepad back out. His stare turned into a harsh glare as his pencil was forced against the paper. Lulu suddenly froze in her place, wondering why he was writing so quickly.

_It is __**not **__your fault. It's not your fault that you have to be in this place as the 'neutral' person or whatever. Dimentio is only trying to warp your mind. Don't worry, I'll—we'll make sure that he doesn't harm you, okay? _

Lulu smiled weakly, happy that Mute was trying to comfort her.

"Thanks…" she said quietly, giving him a friendly hug. Mute returned it, nodding. He knew that everyone was in trouble at this point, but it was nothing compared to her situation. No matter how sad Timpani was over her own situation, it was small in comparison to Lulu's position. Or, at least, that's how Mute saw it. He figured it had to do with different opinions, but they all needed to give each other strength for the journey that was about to end. Mute jotted another note down as he let go of Lulu.

_Let's find a Pure Heart. The sooner we get that and bring it back to Timpani, the better. _

Lulu nodded, her smile widening. "You're so optimistic." She said with a grin. Mute grinned back, scratching the back of his head. Lulu didn't seem to notice the smallest shade of red on his cheeks as she turned toward a fork in the pavement.

"Now, which way…" Lulu looked down both paths, trying to find something that would pop out at them that could lead them to a Pure Heart. Mute helped her search for something out of the ordinary, but everything seemed to be so different in this place. Everything was in reverse order from what it was in Flipside, throwing them off and getting them both lost. However, there was one thing that they both caught that they seemed to recognize.

"Hey, doesn't that look like the Mirror Hall?" Lulu asked, pointing to the large temple that was directly in back of the First Floor. Mute nodded, taking a closer look at it. He went ahead of Lulu and approached the door, looking back to see Lulu following.

"I think it is the Mirror Hall!" Lulu said, smiling. '_At least it's something I know…_' she thought in relief, pushing the door open and walking into the empty temple.

The Mirror Hall had a creepy feel to it, especially in Flopside. No light drifted through the stained-glass windows, and the mirror on the wall was the only thing that seemed to shimmer with any inch of light. The pictures in the stained-glass windows seemed to resemble the four people who knew the secret of the two parallel dimensions, yet Mute and Lulu did not know that fact. They really didn't seem to take much interest in those windows anyway. They were mainly interested in the mirror that was in the center. Lulu approached it, pressing her hand on the glass. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, looking back at herself carefully. Mute peered over to look with her.

For a split moment, Lulu blinked. In that moment, she _swore _she saw someone else in the mirror besides Mute. After she blinked again, it was gone. She blinked again after a few seconds. There he was again! Lulu bit her lip.

_It was Dimentio. _

The words of Queen Jaydes echoed through the Fourth Hero's head, booming loud and clear. '_**There are invisible strings wrapped around your limbs, ready to drag you to him if needed! Count Bleck has turned you into a puppet to his power…the power of the Chaos Heart!**__' _

Mute curiously tapped Lulu on the shoulder, noticing that she was shaking in front of the mirror's reflection. As he looked up, he saw what she saw. The reflection of that awful jester. He glared, preparing to transform into his Hero form.

"Bleck is innocent…it's Dimentio who's controlling me!" Lulu screamed, which made Mute freeze in his place. Lulu fell to her knees, hugging herself.

"_**Poor Luigi, lost in confusion and despair…**_" the reflection of Dimentio spoke from the mirror within, noticing that she was not alone out there. Mute turned back to Dimentio and glared.

"_**I see you have a little knight! Aww, how cute. However, I don't think that will help you…or him for that matter.**_"

"Go away!" Lulu yelled, tears forming in her eyes. "I'm going to help the Heroes! Not you!"

"_**You are far too deep into the situation to change your route now. You've already been hypnotized by Nastasia once, and sworn your allegiance to Bleck.**_"

"I'll take you down myself!" Lulu yelled, a green cap appearing in her hands. Mute stared in horror, his body frozen to his spot. Placing the cap on her head, Lulu was engulfed in a green light. Her school uniform was replaced with a pair of blue overalls, similar to the ones that Mute wore when he turned into a Hero. A green t-shirt was underneath the overalls, while white gloves covered her hands. Brown shoes were over her feet, and the green cap was now on her head with a large L on the front.

"_**Do you honestly think you can destroy your puppeteer?**_" Dimentio questioned, smirking. Lulu, now transformed into Luigi, stood tall and arched her legs. She walked back a few paces, soon rushing at the mirror. Leaping into the air, she shot out her left leg and yelled out.

"GRAND L KICK!" she shouted, a green light surrounding her body as she fired at the mirror like a missile. Mute threw out his arms to protect him, knowing the impact was going to be great.

**CRASH!**

The mirror shattered into hundreds of pieces, falling to the ground and flying past Mute and Luigi. A few zoomed past and scarred their skin, creating small cuts. There was nothing left of the mirror as Luigi fell to the ground, injured by the impact of the kick. Mute rushed over to check if she was okay, seeing that she had really hurt herself just by trying to take out Dimentio who seemed to only be a simple illusion.

"I'll be okay…" Luigi said, smiling weakly. "I shouldn't worry, right?" she knew that Mute was probably going to tell her as such on paper, so she saved him the trouble of straining his fingers. Mute nodded, his glare softening. He looked over to the broken mirror, seeing no trace of a Pure Heart or anything. It was all meaningless that they came here. Dimentio knew they were going to be here and took advantage of that. He was toying with Lulu, and he couldn't do anything about it. Luigi struggled to get back up, falling back down. Blood leaked from the open cuts, making her cringe. It was the same for Mute, but he could tolerate it a little better. At least he had the strength to stand. Slowly, he tried to give Luigi support by allowing her to grab onto his shoulder.

"You do way too much." Luigi said, embarrassed that Mute was helping so much. Mute shrugged. He really didn't mind. He supported her back to the door of the mirror hall, but he was soon stopped by Luigi's tug on his own shoulder. A shimmering, violet light caught her attention and she noted Mute about it.

"Mute, look! Is that what I think it is?" she questioned, pointing back to where the mirror once stood. Behind the broken mirror, a purple heart was floating in midair. Mute smiled as he knew what exactly that was, as did Luigi. "It's one of the Pure Hearts! This is great!" Luigi exclaimed, grinning. Mute let go of Luigi and made sure she had her balance before walking toward the floating, purple heart and taking hold of it. He wondered why it wasn't there before when Luigi broke the mirror at first, but that thought passed soon enough. He walked back to Luigi and nodded, holding the Pure Heart with one free and hand giving her a thumb's up with the other.

"Let's go find Timpani." Luigi said, smiling back in return. Mute placed both hands on the Pure Heart once again, and the two left the Mirror Hall.

Unknowing to the two, Dimentio floated right nearby them.

"So, they found the Pure Heart. This is quite a fabulous show. A lot more than I was expecting!" the jester clapped his hands together in amusement. "I can't wait to see the final act." A twisted grin spread over his face underneath his mask before he warped out of the Mirror Hall, leaving nothing but silence.

**//. r a i n b o w . //**

Burly and Peach raced down the streets of the first floor, going straight for the elevator that would take them to the second floor. They knew that Timpani was there, and they held the dark blue Pure Heart in their possession.

"Hey! Guys!" Luigi's voice alerted the two Heroes as they saw Mute and Luigi rushing down the sidewalk to find them.

"You found a Pure Heart!" Luigi exclaimed. Burly looked down at the purple Pure Heart in Mute's hands.

"So did you." Peach noted before Burly could speak up or yell at Mute for copying him.

"Does that mean that Timpani found one too?" Luigi questioned.

"I'm not sure. We were just about to go find her. She said she was on the second floor, right?" Peach asked. Mute nodded.

"We're getting a lot of weird looks while carrying these things around." Burly said, trying to cover up the Pure Heart with his hands.

"That's because it's sketchy to hide things while you're walking, Burly." Luigi explained, trying to cover up a laugh.

"Shut up!" Burly yelled, unable to come up with a better comeback. Peach and Mute sighed as the elevator finally came down. Opening up for the four Heroes, they boarded and rode it up to the second floor. They arrived on the second floor in a matter of seconds and rushed off.

"Now, where do you think Timpani went searching?" Peach asked, unsure of where Timpani was going to search.

"She said she wanted to go talk to some stupid Fortuneteller." Burly noted, remembering what she had said when they were arguing over the map.

"Where's the fortuneteller, then?" Luigi asked, looking around the street for some sort of street post or sign to direct them toward that place.

"Hey, guys!" Peach's voice alerted the rest of the group. They all turned to her as she pointed toward the Flopside Tower and a house next to it. "Doesn't that place look a lot like Merlon's?" Peach stepped toward it, knowing that Merlon's house was on the left side of Flipside Tower.

"Yeah, that does!" Luigi agreed. "Although it's on the wrong side…" Luigi muttered, remembering the location of the wizard's house.

"Well, we've gotta take chances sometime!" Burly burst out, walking toward the steps of the house and stepping right in front of the door. Mute shrugged and followed Burly's blind courage. Sadly, Mute had to admit that he was right. What was the harm in knocking at some stranger's door? He would have laughed at the thought, but no one in Flopside really tried to kill them…yet. Except for that mirage of Dimentio. But that was just a mirage. Burly knocked on the door, and who should answer, but dear old Merlon! Or, at least, that was the first thought.

"Ah, welcome! I've been expecting you!" the man who resembled Merlon exclaimed. "Timpani is here if you were looking for her. Do come in!"

What Mute and Burly noticed right away was that his robe color was different. Only Luigi had no clue of what his original cloak color was. She probably thought that this was the actual Merlon.

"What's with the new getup, Merlon?" Burly questioned. Merlon chuckled. He knew that they would make the same mistake that Timpani did.

"Oh, I am not the Merlon you know. I am Nolrem! I'll explain within, for Timpani has been waiting for a little while. Does anyone want any tea?" Nolrem asked, leading all four Heroes in.

Compared to Merlon's house, this one seemed to be a little cozier. There were more couches and chairs, and even a small kitchen was located in the corner nearby the stairs that led up to the second floor. On one of the couches, Timpani was filing through some of the map pages and marking spots where she thought she could find Pure Hearts. As she looked up, she realized that those efforts were meaningless. The glimmer of indigo and purple hearts made her smile.

"You found them…" Timpani muttered, her eyes shimmering with the reflection of the Pure Heart's light.

"Yeah!" Luigi said, grinning. "Aren't you so proud of us?" Timpani laughed at Luigi's comment, standing up and taking out her rod. She pointed it between the two Pure Hearts, hoping to catch both of them in one attempt.

"SEAL THESE PURE HEARTS SO THAT NO IMPURE HANDS MAY TOUCH!"

The lights of indigo and purple slowly were swept within the rod, where they disappeared from the hands of Mute and Burly and arrived within Timpani's rod. Only one space remained in the rod, which meant they only had one, more Pure Heart to find.

"Where could that last heart be?" Peach asked, hoping it wasn't in another dimension that they couldn't reach at this point. Nolrem chuckled.

"Is this what you're looking for?" he asked, revealing a pure white light from his cloak pocket.

The last Pure Heart.

"Is it really that easy?" Timpani asked. Nolrem shook his head.

"First, you must answer this question truthfully. All of you." He spoke seriously, catching all of the Heroes' attention. "Why do you think you found the Pure Hearts here, in all places?" he questioned. They all thought hard, but no answer came to them.

"Because they were here to begin with?" Burly asked. Nolrem shook his head.

"Let me rephrase that. You traveled in pairs, right? Why do you think that the Pure Hearts decided to reveal themselves at different times, despite the fact that you may have spent your entire day searching?" Nolrem questioned. Peach seemed to get it.

"Oh! Because…" she turned to Burly, smiling. "…we were able to unlock the Pure Hearts because we weren't alone in searching for them?" Peach asked. Nolrem thought about, and spoke up.

"You're close. I'll just tell you. The Pure Hearts weren't always split up. It was originally one, large heart, just like the Chaos Heart is now. To prevent from impure hands using its powers for unjust needs, the Pure Heart was split into eight pieces. The Pure Hearts were sealed by my ancestors who wrote the Light Prognosticus 1,500 years ago and hidden in different locations. With two of the Pure Hearts, they used a special power to seal them. Only those who show a strong bond of trust and compassion can unlock the seal and find the Pure Hearts." Nolrem explained. The Heroes seemed to understand now.

"Well, I suppose that makes a little bit of sense." Luigi said, thinking about it.

"But wait, why did you tell us that?" Timpani asked. She knew it was important to be trustworthy and loyal to her friends, but why was he telling this now? Was there some meaning behind it.

"I'm glad you asked, Timpani." He handed the white Pure Heart to her. "You need to use those powers of compassion and trust to help stop Count Bleck in destroying everything. Your wish is to not harm Bleck, for he was once the one you loved with no end. Timpani, your power is not intended to harm. Your power is intended to heal. You must show Count Bleck, no, you must show Blumiere that you still trust in him even after he has lost himself in sadness. That is true, is it not?" Nolrem questioned. Timpani nodded, smiling. She was feeling confident again.

"Bleh. This is so cliché." Burly complained.

"Shush." Peach whispered.

"The Pure Heart reflects the feeling of love, and that's what you must use to stop the Void from destroying everything!" Nolrem shouted, just in time for another tremor to shake Flopside. The Void was growing bigger. "You do not have much time. At the top of Flopside Tower, there is a door. This door will take you to Castle Noir, where Bleck and his minions are waiting for you. Everyone must be ready to face the dangerous and battle the ultimate power." Nolrem explained.

Mute nodded and threw his fist up into the air, showing he was determined and ready.

"I know we'll take them down!" Peach said, clapping her hands together into a ball right in front of her chest. A cheerful smile spread across her lips.

"Oh please, this will be a piece of cake!" Burly said, grinning.

"I'll show that jester who's boss!" Luigi said, knowing that she would have to face Dimentio within. Timpani thrust out her rod, sealing away the last Pure Heart. Her rod began to glimmer with all of the colors of the Pure Hearts, creating a rainbow light that filled the entire house.

"Now that you have all of the Pure Hearts, you can use a special ability. Hold out your rod and shout 'Pure Revitalization!' whenever you need to use it. Timpani, you may not be a hero, but you hold a key role in this entire quest." Nolrem said.

"I know." Timpani held out her rod, looking at it carefully. "I'm ready. We'll save the dimensions before they fall!" Timpani exclaimed, receiving a high five from all of the Heroes. Nolrem smiled.

"Then, get going…" he told them, opening the door to them and allowing them to go out back onto the streets of Flopside.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

"Bleck is shocked! This is beyond belief!" Bleck yelled, slamming his cane into the pillar he was standing upon. The loud sound made all of his minions shudder. "Dimentio! Bleck wants to hear it again!"

"Of course. It seems that the Heroes were able to get out of the Underwhere and are now heading straight to Castle Noir to take you down." Dimentio explained without frowning or shaking in fear of how Count Bleck would react to that.

"Hm, I figured that they wouldn't be dead for good." Bleck muttered.

"Oh, and they have all of the Pure Hearts." Dimentio added.

"What are your plans, Count?" Nastasia asked. Bleck placed a hand under his chin to think of what he would do.

"O'Chunks, Mimi, Dimentio. I want you to give our guests a lovely welcome." Bleck told them.

"Right away, Count!" O'Chunks yelled, leaping off of the pillar and down below.

"This will be so much fun!" Mimi chimed, warping away from the room to set up some traps. Dimentio chuckled.

"Oh, the amusement I'll have with the green one…" Dimentio muttered, warping away from the room. Nastasia turned to face Count Bleck, seemingly nervous.

"What are you going to do about her?" Nastasia asked, referring to Timpani.

"It's too late to stop what's already gone into motion, Nastasia. Even if she does remember what happened in the past, neither of us will be able to stop it. What is done must be done." Bleck told her. Nastasia looked down in disappointment.

"I see…" Nastasia said weakly.

"Nastasia, be ready. Once they come, we must take them down. _All of them._" Bleck said the last statement a little quieter than before. Nastasia nodded slowly.

"Of course, Count." She warped out of the room, leaving him alone with the Dark Prognosticus. Count Bleck tipped his hat down over his face, lost in thought.

_As much as I do not want to harm her, there is no going back. _

_No way back…_

**Next Time…**

_So we're finally here at Castle Noir. What lies ahead could be an end to all Dimensions or a light that brings everything back to life! The Four Heroes versus the minions of Count Bleck! Deep in Castle Noir lie tricks and traps, and plus a few enemies that we regret to defeat. What shall lie ahead? What are we going to gain? What are we going to lose? _

Coming soon!

Episode Eight: Showdown! The Journey Through Castle Noir

**(Note: The next chapter is NOT the last one. But yes, it is almost over.) **


	8. Episode Eight

**(Author's Notes: I feel like this chapter should have been a wee bit longer, but…maybe I'll extend it later. There isn't so much to say except once I finish this story, I will start on ****Flopflip****, which is this story told from Blumiere's POV. That story's probably going to be even shorter than this one, but it will give us a little peak at the other side of characters like O'Chunks, Mimi, Dimentio, Nastasia, and especially Blumiere/Bleck. I shouldn't rant too much about it. I won't spoil the surprise. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!) **

**F L I P . / . F L O P**

"It's time for me to come to you..."

"_I don't want to harm you, but there's no other choice…_"

"Whatever happens, I'll make sure that it all happens for the better…"

"_No way back now, my dear beloved…_"

"Have faith in me, and I'll have faith in you no matter what. I trust you, and I'll save you..."

"_Timpani…_"

"Blumiere…"

**Episode Eight: Showdown! The Journey Through Castle Noir**

Standing before the door to Bleck's castle was full of many, many emotions. As the Heroes stood their ground, they looked up at the door with wide eyes and fast-beating hearts. The door itself was all black, covered in the lavender designs that plastered all doors that led to other dimensions. This one was larger than the other doors at Flipside Tower, however. This one was at least twice as large, which probably meant that it took a lot more power to travel there than the other dimensions.

In front of the Heroes was Timpani, who held her rod firm in her hand. Gripping it tight enough, yet gentle enough so she would not shatter it and allow the Pure Hearts to escape. Her blue eyes were fixed upon the double doors, and her hair blew in the chilly breeze as night began to fall on Flopside.

No, that was not night. It was the Void.

The Void was at a large enough size that it was able to block out the source of Flopside's light. At this rate, Timpani assumed that it was the same in Flipside. There was no more light in these dimensions, and the only way to get them back was to stop Count Bleck and the Dark Prognosticus.

The four Heroes stood behind her, Mute standing to the left and Lulu all the way on the right. Peach was next to Mute, while Burly was next to Lulu. It seemed to be in the order that they were all founded in. Mute, the silent hero was dubbed the leader. Despite his amount of courage, he still feared for the worst in what was to come. He feared for his best friend, Peach and his rival Burly. He feared for his guardian, Timpani, but most of all, he feared for his new friend Lulu. He found himself taking several glances at her, seeing that her tall body was shaking with fright. He did not blame her, for the events that would take place would be horrifying. However, it would only be for the best.

Peach held her hands together, gripping each other for strength. She was the optimistic one, the one who always smiled no matter what. With the loss of light that fell over Flopside, she remembered the days when she thought she was just a normal girl. The old days of spending time with Mute and Burly were coming to an end, but only for a short time. She held hope that once she returned, she would be able to take them out for a meal. Of course, she would invite Timpani and Lulu too. They were all great friends now, and she was grateful that she got to meet them. A smile was on her face, although fear was apparent in her mind.

Burly never seemed to be scared of anything. That was very untrue. Burly was scared of many things. He feared that Peach never cared about him, while her eye was always on the courageous and heroic Mute. He feared that he would never be able to see the day when he could get a free meal at Saffron's. Of course, these were irrational fears. But ever since Nastasia hypnotized him, the strongest fear of all was letting himself fall to those villains. He wouldn't let himself become a victim again. He swore that.

Lulu had the best reason to be afraid. She did not want to see the face of that twisted jester again, but she had no choice at this rate. In order to take something down, you have to strike it down with your own belief that you can. That's what she was thinking, and she knew that she wasn't going to be alone in defeating Dimentio. She would have her best friend Timpani backing her up, along with the three other Heroes who looked up to her…literally. And Mute…yes; he was going to be there for her too.

'_Once this quest is over, once we defeat the darkness, everything will make sense again._' Lulu thought, smiling. '_We'll all be happy, and the fact that Timpani and I never knew each other in the past won't matter._' Lulu thought. '_Well, it never did matter, but still…_' she reminded herself, her smile fading slightly.

It was time. The time had finally come for the Heroes to take on their true forms and go into the fray. Timpani held out her rod, the light shining throughout the top floor of Flopside Tower. The sudden appearance of light made citizens of Flopside look over toward the tower to see what was going on. In mere seconds, Timpani's school uniform had disappeared and had been replaced with the outfit of her heroine self. Her blonde hair shimmered in the light that had been activated by her transformation, and she was ready to face off her enemies. The Heroes followed this example.

Mute took out his cap, Peach took out her parasol, Burly gripped the necklace around his neck, and Lulu took out her own cap. In the blend of four colors, red, pink, orange, and green, the four teenage students took on their alter egos and stood strong; ready to do their duty as Heroes.

"Let's go!" Tippi exclaimed, walking toward the door. Her heart was beating fast out of being nervous, but there was no going back. Not when the world was at stake. Mario nodded, seemingly determined.

"For everything, for all things good and innocent, and even misguided souls…" Peach said aloud, praying that everything would turn out the way it should. She gripped her parasol, smiling as she stared over at the Void. It began to suck in more of Flopside's light, and soon it would be ready to take it all away.

"I'm gonna kick his ass!" Bowser yelled, smirking. He was referring to Count Bleck, and didn't seem to notice that Tippi cringed when he stated that.

"I'll defeat you, Dimentio. I'm no puppet!" Luigi yelled up at the Void, glaring at its endless abyss. '_I'll rip away the strings that you bound to me!_'

"Blumiere, I'm coming…" Tippi muttered quietly so the other Heroes would not notice her. Finally directly before the door, she pushed it open. Beyond the door were two, parallel lines that seemed to create an endless path into darkness. The Heroes assumed that this was the path to Castle Noir. Taking the first step, Tippi saw that their first guess was right. They all walked on the path that the two parallel lines created, heading into the unknown. They could all only hope that only good could come from here.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

"Um, they're finally at the castle." Nastasia muttered, looking at the Heroes travel up the path toward Castle Noir through a reflection in a mirror. '_The Count ordered me not to attack, just to stay back._' She thought in despair, following the orders of Count Bleck.

"It's because he doesn't want to hurt her. He doesn't want me to hurt her, I'm sure. Not like I would. She's the one he loves…_not me_." Those words made her cringe.

"Oh, how sad! How heart-wrenching!" the cruel voice of a familiar jester made Nastasia jump.

"Dimentio!" Nastasia exclaimed.

"Ah, are you so happy to see me, dear Nastasia?" Dimentio mused.

"Count Bleck ordered you to stay at your post! Do that, 'K?" Nastasia barked, not wanting to speak with this minion.

"Yes, yes, I know. But I know the Heroes will not make it to my post in a little while. They may not even make it to that deep into the fortress! What makes you so sure that they will survive through O'Chunks and Mimi?" Dimentio asked. Nastasia stared in surprise.

"Just an assumption." Nastasia said, looking away from Dimentio. Dimentio chuckled.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with our dear old Count now, would it?" Dimentio asked, prying right into the situation.

"Just go back to your post or I'll step out of line to take you down!" Nastasia yelled, glaring at him.

"Oh my! Nastasia is so scary when she's mad!" Dimentio mocked.

"_**Get out.**_" Nastasia hissed. Dimentio chuckled as he disappeared.

"_Oh, poor Nastasia. She must sit while the valiant Count reunites with his beautiful princess. The small, inferior, knight does not get any piece of attention. No matter how hard she tries, she will not ever turn his head away from the woman he was searching for._" Dimentio spoke, although his body was not present in the room that Nastasia was in.

"Damn it…" Nastasia muttered sadly. '_He's right…I'm nothing to him. I'm only a minion. What chance do I have?_' she thought in disappointment. The boy that was Count Bleck truly wasn't who he said he was. He was Blumiere, Count Blumiere. The Count Blumiere who fell in love with Lady Timpani. No matter how lost his mind and heart was, even Nastasia could see that he was saddened by the idea of eliminating his love to have the worlds destroyed. The only reason the worlds were being destroyed because he saw that they had no meaning without her. Why was he doing this now that she had been found? It confused Nastasia so much.

"I have to stop him…" Nastasia decided, turning back to the mirror to watch as the Heroes finally stood before Castle Noir. "But I'm not the one who can."

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

They were finally here. About a mile away from the door and down the path of the two white, parallel lines, the large Castle Noir stood. It was completely black, only outlined with the sketch of several white lines that seemed to connect to the path that the Heroes walked down on. Even the flames that were lit at the side of the castle's gate were black as pitch. They roared, although they lacked the natural color of a flame. The Heroes knew that this had something to do with Bleck's power.

As they stood before Castle Noir, Tippi suddenly felt a memory flash through her head. There was something familiar about this castle. Something she couldn't place entirely from the mere glance at it. Luigi noticed her state of head pain and peered over.

"Is something wrong, Tippi?" Luigi asked, concerned. Tippi shook her head.

"It's nothing." Tippi explained. She looked up at the castle to see the gate close ahead. She neared the gate, leading the Heroes toward where the minions of Bleck were awaiting them. Tippi placed her hand on the large door, allowing it to swing open. They slowly walked in, expecting to be ambushed the second they walked in. Nothing came.

The room was like déjà vu for Luigi. It was the room where she almost escaped from when Mimi trapped her. Now the door was there. Luigi knew that this was the last place she could remember being before waking up in Floro Mines, feeling pain throughout her entire body. She could also remember how guilty Mario felt for doing _something_. Whatever that was, for Luigi could not remember facing off the Heroes as Ms. L.

Designs were drawn all over the black walls, while platforms were visible as they shot out of the darkness and led up to doors standing in midair. Which way was the correct way? The Heroes knew right away that this place would be like a labyrinth. There was a door straight ahead up a flight of stairs.

"We should probably go this way." Luigi explained, going up the stairs.

"Why do you think there are so many doors floating up there?" Peach asked, wondering if she should go in any of those doorways.

"Probably because they're there to throw us off and make us waste time!" Bowser suggested loudly, staring up at the doors that were floating nearby the platforms that led up to them. Luigi opened the door at the top of the stairs, allowing the others to walk through it first before she went in. Through the next door was a long hallway, another good memory that Luigi had. This place was so full of good memories, sarcasm intended. This long hallway made Bowser groan.

"How far is Bleck's room? I want to get this over with!" Bowser complained. Right after Bowser's immature yell, there came an unexpected tremor.

"W-What was that?" Peach asked. Mario's eyes narrowed. He wrote a quick note in his notepad.

_I think the Void's power is active here too. Although it may not seem like it, this place is a dimension too. This place will probably be the last to be destroyed, but we're still short on time before this place is gone. _

"Of course." Tippi said, nodding.

"This place is way too bleak to be a dimension." Bowser stated, glaring at Mario. Mario glared back, wondering if Bowser was going to be ignorant for the entire trip through this castle.

"Don't start arguing." Peach stopped Bowser before he blew up with anger. "Mario's right. We need to hurry and stop the Dark Prognosticus before we're toast." Peach told everyone, her eyes narrowing.

"The problem is that we have no clue of where Bleck is hiding." Luigi stated.

"I think he's in the deepest part of the castle." Tippi explained. She knew that Bleck would be the last one that they faced. She remembered that Count Bleck had several minions…probably their previous classmates. Chunk, Mimi, Damien, and even Natasha…they all worked for Count Bleck. It made her sad. In the end, their class was divided. They never had trusted in whom the Heroes turned out to be, although the entire class was able to make good friends with each other.

"That would make sense." Peach said, nodding with Tippi's hypothesis. "We'll see how deep we can get into Castle Noir, and we'll reach him in no time, I'm sure!" Peach tried to keep up the confidence.

"I need to kick something's ass." Bowser complained, cracking his knuckles. The Heroes finally made it to the end of the long hallway, opening the door to head into another room with two flights of stairs. A large door was placed at the end, obviously heading into another bigger room. Without another word, the group advanced up the stairs and toward the larger door. Bowser took charge and went in first, the smaller Heroes coming in after. This next room was smaller than all of the rooms they had been in before, but the door before them seemed to have a lock over it.

"Crap. We can't go forward." Luigi groaned.

"Fer all th' good reason, meh lass!"

A deep, Scottish voice was heard from the ceiling as the large minion O'Chunks fell and landed before the Heroes.

"Is that the orange blur I saw when I tried to save Merlon?" Tippi asked herself, arching her eyebrow.

"Aye!" O'Chunks heard her question. "Ye were just a wee lass, but ye ar' wanted dead by th' Count! All of ye!" O'Chunks yelled, raising his fists. His size scared poor Tippi, but even small Mario had courage enough to face up to him. Before any of the Heroes could go forward, Bowser stepped in.

"Hold it, brawny! You can easily kick Mario's ass, but there's no way you can kick my sorry can around! I've been waiting for a battle ever since I got here, and dammit, I'll take down anyone who tries to stop us!" Bowser roared.

"Bowser, no!" Peach yelled, trying to stop him.

"Hey, it's all right, Peach. I can take this guy down any day!" Bowser bragged.

"That's what ye think!" O'Chunks yelled, taking on his challenge. Bowser faced O'Chunks with a glare, ready to breathe fire as his defense. O'Chunks flexed his arms, ready to toss the large boy back into the wall traced with white lines.

"FIERY WRATH!" Flames raged out of Bowser's mouth, spreading toward O'Chunks. Despite his body mass being large, he was able to nimbly jump over the flames and do a flip straight onto Bowser. His weight crushed the poor Hero, making him fall over.

"BOWSER!" Peach screamed, Luigi, Timpani, and even Mario watched in horror. That crushing technique wasn't enough to stop Bowser, however. He got up quickly, stretching his arms back.

"Never felt better…" Bowser grunted, grinning. O'Chunks laughed.

"Yer gonna keep going?" O'Chunks asked, soon rushing at Bowser again. Bowser held his arms out, soon using his own body strength to catch O'Chunks before he rammed Bowser into the wall. With catching him with his arms, he was able to push O'Chunks back and fling him back into the nearby wall. He yelled out in pain as he made an impact with the black wall, actually making some white line marks.

"Yer better than I thought!" O'Chunks said, nodding. "But the battle's only begun!" he exclaimed, flexing his muscles.

"Bowser! We have to keep going!" Peach yelled, fear swimming in her eyes. She tried to rush in to stop the battle between the two, but Mario held her back. He shook his head, frowning deeply. Peach sighed, wishing she could do something. She could clearly see on Mario's face that she could not interfere with his affairs.

_It's his battle._

"Try and hit meh again, ya bloomin' turtle!" O'Chunks taunted, grinning. This battle wasn't going to end so easily. He charged at him, preparing for a tackle.

"I am **not **a turtle!" Bowser roared, holding his arms up again for another defensive move. However, O'Chunks was ready this time. He suddenly tripped down, using his right arm to flip himself to the side and delivering a surprise kick into Bowser's gut.

"OOF!" Bowser yelled, saliva and blood flying out of his mouth as he fell back and crashed into the wall. O'Chunks laughed, and Peach attempted to rush at the fallen warrior. Mario was able to hold her back before O'Chunks was ready to ground pound into the injured Bowser. Bowser wasn't that weak, however. He glared at O'Chunks before he pile drived him.

"FIERY WRATH!" he yelled, flames erupting from his mouth and at O'Chunks.

"AAAACK!" O'Chunks was burnt by the attack and tossed back. Burn marks were all over his rough skin and he barely had enough strength to breathe through the gases that emitted from the fire.

"How's that for ya?" Bowser asked, having his turn to laugh evilly. O'Chunks grunted as he attempted to get up.

"Ya…ya ain't…bad." O'Chunks muttered, his eyes narrow and his breath short. A key appeared in the center of the room with a POOF! O'Chunks seemed to be surprised that this happened.

"Why…stupid key!" O'Chunks complained. Peach rushed over to pick it up, wrapping her fingers around it and grabbing it.

"Why did that appear?" Luigi asked, looking around. She saw the spot where O'Chunks was thrown into, seeing a small switch that wasn't visible before. It had activated the key's appearance.

"C'mon, Bowser! Let's go!" Luigi called for the large hero as she took the key from Peach and ran straight for the door behind O'Chunks. Mario, Peach, and Timpani followed, looking back at Bowser with a look of encouragement. Bowser got up and began to follow, smirking at the sight of Peach smiling at his doing, but a large tremor soon killed the mood.

"What's going on?" Tippi asked, looking around the room as her eyes darted to the ceiling as she noticed some movement. The ceiling seemed to be a little lower than it was before, which made Tippi's eyes widen.

"The ceiling's falling!" Tippi warned. Luigi quickly darted to the door, trying to insert the key into the keyhole. Everything happened quickly, but the ceiling was falling faster than anyone thought.

"We're done for!" Luigi was able to unlock the door, but the ceiling was already three fourths of the way down. Everyone braced themselves. Was it really going to end here?

It seemed that way, but hope seemed to have its way of working through things.

When it all seemed like it was over, no crushing force delivered a blow to the Heroes. They all clamped their eyes shut, but soon after a few seconds, Bowser was the first to open them to witness an honorable sight. O'Chunks had raised his arms to block the ceiling from falling on the group. Using his strength, he held it up.

"W-what are you doing?" Bowser asked, making everyone open their eyes to see the sight that was before him.

"Ye beat me, so get goin'!" O'Chunks said, his arms shaking from the heavy weight of the ceiling. His voice was weak and struggling, for it was difficult to hold it up. Luigi took his words and opened the door.

"C'mon!" Luigi called to the others, not looking back. Mario smiled at O'Chunks before taking his leave. However, Tippi, Peach, and Bowser stayed. Tippi didn't want to abandon him, and for some reason, neither did Peach or Bowser.

"GO!" O'Chunks yelled, glaring at them. "I can't hold it up fer much longer!" O'Chunks complained, straining to keep it above his head. However, the next action was something that O'Chunks didn't predict. Before his eyes, he saw Bowser copy his act of heroism. By aidding O'Chunks, Bowser placed his arms below the falling ceiling and helped him to support it.

"What are ya doing?" O'Chunks demanded an answer.

"I'm not going to lose the spotlight after I made myself look good!" Bowser fired back. That was not his real answer, and Tippi and Peach saw that right away. "I'll help you!" Bowser told him, grinning.

"A darin' act…" O'Chunks muttered.

"Peach, get out of here!" Bowser looked back to the pink-dressed heroine. Tippi smiled and ran through the door, knowing that they would need a short moment alone. O'Chunks watched as the rainbow heroine raced through the door, and turned his attention to Peach and Bowser. Peach smiled at Bowser, slowly walking to the door.

"Thank you." She said, nodding before she walked through the door, allowing it to slam behind her.

"Ye can let go of the ceilin' now…" O'Chunks told Bowser, grinning.

"You can too!" Bowser argued back. "Any time now!"

"Do ye have any regrets?" O'Chunks asked, feeling himself lose grip on the ceiling. He was getting weaker each second at the pressure that the ceiling was now forcing on his muscles and limbs.

"Maybe a few." Bowser nodded.

"Aye, I do too." O'Chunks said, looking down at the ground. "At least ye got to tell the lass ye loved goodbye before ye had to perish…"

"Say what…?" Bowser heard him, but he didn't exactly have time to conphrend it. At that time, they both lost grip on the ceiling, and it finally fell.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

The Heroes minus Bowser were in the room behind where they faced O'Chunks, when suddenly they felt the rumble of the ceiling falling to the floor.

"Bowser!" Peach yelled, rushing back to the door they just walked through. She tried to jam it open, but it was sealed shut. They couldn't go back. "No…" she hung her head, looking to the ground with sadness. Mario walked to Peach, placing a hand on her shoulder. It was apparent that he was sad of Bowser's loss as well.

"Is he…" Luigi muttered, not wanting to believe that Bowser had truly been lost when he tried to hold up the ceiling with O'Chunks.

"That idiot…" Peach muttered, weeping in her hands. Tippi looked back on the door that they had walked through, her eyes narrow.

'_Bowser…Burly…you're not truly gone, are you? I don't believe it._' Tippi thought, knowing that he was still alive. She had to remain hopeful, for she knew that it wasn't the only bad thing that was going to happen in this place. Peach wept for a few more moments, Mario giving her a hug to try and comfort her. Despite being rivals, it was a large loss.

"We…must move forward." Tippi was surprised that the statement came from her own mouth. "Burly isn't gone for good. I know it." Tippi tried to cheer them up. "He wouldn't want us to stay behind and weep over his loss, right? I'm sure that once this mess is over, he'll be there to have another pointless argument with Mute again. And to spend time with us too." Tippi felt tears swell up in her own eyes, but she spoke the truth. Peach wiped her own eyes, along with Mario.

"You're right, Timpani." Peach said, smiling. Mario nodded, sharing Peach's smile.

"Timpani's right. There's no reason to feel down. You know that if he was here, he'd yell at us and tell us to suck it up." Luigi said, attempting to follow Tippi's example in cheering them up. It seemed to work well.

"Then, let's press onward." Peach said, a smile finally appearing on her face. Mario nodded, moving ahead of the group to right behind Tippi.

'_Only more terrible things will occur when we press through this place. We must keep cautious…_'

This next room was another long hallway. This castle seemed to be full of those long, scary hallways that seemed to lack tricks or traps. The Heroes doubted that the empty room pattern would keep up; because they could feel themselves plunge deeper and deeper into Castle Noir. The door ahead of them was their gate into the unknown regions of the castle, and that's where they needed to be. Tippi led the group further ahead into the next room, where it was another room with various platforms, but no doors.

"What kind of a room is this?" Luigi asked, looking around. Peach peered around, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. At least, what they hadn't seen in this castle already.

"There must be something hidden to this room, just like when we found the key by O'Chunks bashing into the wall." Peach guessed. Tippi looked above her, seeing several platforms in midair.

"Maybe…" Tippi stared up, wondering what was above them. The wings on her back glittered with a rainbow light as she lifted off the ground for a brief moment, landing on the platform directly above her. Her wings gave her the ability to float for a few seconds, but only that time. She looked above her again, seeing a few more platforms indeed leading up to another door.

"It's up here, guys!" Tippi called, pointing up. Luigi, being the only acrobat in the group, was able to merely jump onto the platform that Tippi had to float up upon. The next platform, however, was harder to reach with a single jump. This required Tippi's flight abilities again.

"I can try and take everyone up." Tippi offered to carry all of the Heroes to the door above. The others nodded. It was the only thing that they could do, seeing that none of them could really "fly" like Tippi. Since Luigi was standing right in front of Tippi, she wrapped her arms around Luigi's body and began to vibrate her wings. She tried to lift off the ground, which proved to be difficult with Luigi's added weight. She was grateful that she wasn't too heavy, but hard to keep her arms around. She was tall and slender, but thin enough that it was hard to keep a tight grip around her. Tippi was finally able to pick up Luigi and take her to the platform in front of the door.

"Are you okay?" Luigi asked, seeing that Tippi was panting.

"It's not easy to carry you up a couple of levels." Tippi said, smiling nervously and taking a few breaths. "I'll carry up Mario next…" she said, looking down at the two Heroes below who seemed to carry guilty looks. They felt bad making Tippi do this, but it was their only option.

After what seemed to be fifteen minutes, Tippi was able to successfully carry Mario and Peach up the platforms and land them near the door. Tippi was almost all out of breath, keeling over with quick exhales.

"Should we rest a little?" Peach asked, concerned for Tippi's status. Sweat was rolling down Tippi's pale face as she looked up to the princess. She shook her head, standing up straight.

"I'll…be fine…" Tippi gasped, smiling weakly. Her wings faded slightly, showing that she wasn't going to float for so much longer. Mario patted Tippi on the back, smiling. He seemed to say with his facial expression that everything would be fine if she just took it easy. Tippi nodded, smiling back. Mario then walked over to the door and opened it, leading the group into the next room.

Before them was another small room, similar to the one they faced O'Chunks in. Instead, they were in for another surprise. The door before them was not locked like the one before, however there stood another person who made them all light up with happiness. Or, at least everyone but Luigi, who seemed to arch an eyebrow over his left eye.

"Merlon!" the group exclaimed (excluding Luigi), seeing the familiar wizard in front of them.

"What are you doing here?" Peach asked, almost ready to hug the small wizard who appeared in this room.

"Is this Merlon?" Luigi asked, never meeting the guide of the Heroes before. She turned her head to the side, looking over to Mario to expect an answer from one of the other Heroes. Mario nodded, but his smile seemed to fade. There was something bothering him about Merlon.

"I came to tell you the greatest news!" Merlon cheered, smiling. "Count Bleck has given up! He has called off the power of the Dark Prognosticus and the Chaos Heart!" he exclaimed.

"Wait…what?" Peach asked in slight disbelief, her smile turning into a concerned frown.

"He gave up!" Merlon repeated, now turning to Tippi, who seemed to move in toward him.

"Why? Does he…" Tippi was unsure of what to do.

"Now that he has given up, it's only apparent that the only option that you have is to return to Flipside!" Merlon said, nodding. Tippi's eyes narrowed.

"That's it?" Peach asked, looking to the others with a look of utter confusion.

"That can't be it…" Tippi muttered. Merlon turned to her in surprise.

"Why can't it be? Count Bleck has realized that he has the power to stop it, which he did." Merlon told her. Tippi shook her head, which surprised all three of the Heroes.

"Tippi?" Luigi asked, unsure of why she doubted the words of this wizard.

"If Count Bleck wanted to give up, he would be standing before us and telling us that himself, and he would send us back to Flipside himself." Tippi explained, glaring at Merlon. Peach caught onto her words, and nodded in agreement.

"Yes! Timpani knows Blumiere the best!" Peach agreed. Mario and Luigi looked at each other, their eyes wide. They obviously hadn't caught on. Peach got out her parasol, pointing it at Merlon.

"Who are you?" Peach questioned. Suddenly, Luigi's eyes widened. She remembered before she blacked out when the fake Mute tricked her. Was this another trick of the same enemy?

"Why, Peach! I would think that you would know your wizard guardian! I wouldn't be surprised if Luigi didn't know me, yet I would think that you do!" Merlon argued, glaring at Peach.

"Reveal yourself!" Peach demanded. "PINK PURE KISS!" a flash of pink light shot out of the parasol and blasted at Merlon. Instead of a loud yell, there came a high-pitched scream that sounded oh-so familiar to the Heroes. In the place of the wizard Merlon, there now stood an injured, green girl.

"Mimimimi…you're smarter than you look!" she hissed, glaring at Peach. "Standing up for your friends is a daring act, but it's the first time I've seen you do something so _daring_." Mimi taunted.

"Mimi!" Tippi knew this girl right away. "So I was right…all of our former classmates were our enemy…" Tippi looked at the floor in sadness.

"You _should _feel sad! You made the Count sad!" Mimi glared at Tippi. "Anyone who depresses the Count should be drawn into the same amount of sadness!"

"Stop it! It's not her fault!" Luigi defended her best friend right away.

"Oh, you think you're so great! You're in a worse situation, miss Greenie!" Mimi turned her insults on Luigi. Mario glared, stepping in this time.

"And you think you've got guts, kid? You can't even talk for yourself!" Mimi cackled.

"Stop it!" Peach yelled, preparing another attack with her parasol. "I will not allow you to insult my dear friends!" Peach gave Mimi a sharp glare. "Tippi, Mario, Luigi; hurry to that door! I'll take care of her!"

With that act of courage, Mario shook his head and ran over to Peach, not wanting her to battle her alone.

"I'll be careful, Mute. Don't worry." Peach said, giving her best friend a kind smile.

"Yuck." Mimi rolled her eyes. "The perfect princess is benevolent, yet so stupid…" Mimi learned the word 'benevolent' from how many times Dimentio had said it.

"Peach, you might be lost…just like Bowser!" Tippi joined Mario in trying to stop her from such a foolish act. Peach shook her head.

"Timpani, you need to go with the other two Heroes and stop Bleck for real. He has not given up, I'm sure. And you shouldn't either. Don't worry about me, I can hold her off." Peach said, smiling.

"That isn't gonna happen!" Mimi said, glaring at the Heroes who were attempting to escape. She stood still for a brief moment, staring up at the black ceiling. A twisted look appeared on her seemingly innocent face. "I'll show you what I can _**truly **_do." Her voice seemed to grow darker as a loud snapping noise echoed through the room. Mimi's neck seemed to snap, making all of the Heroes cringe. At that, her head twisted around her neck and fell _**upside down. **_Luigi looked like she was about to throw up at this sight. From her lopsided neck, black lines that seemed to resemble legs drew out of her new torso, and Mimi's true form was revealed.

"That's the monster I faced in the nurse's office!" Tippi yelled, her eyes wide with horror. She understood why Mimi went missing, or when Luigi explained that she went missing during that same class.

"**MIMIMIMI!**" the monster growled, drool foaming from her mouth.

"Peach!" Tippi yelled, seeing that Mario and Luigi were already bolting for the door.

"I'll be fine…" Peach promised, smiling at Tippi as she readied another attack. "Just go!" she commanded, a pink light beginning to gather on the parasol's tip. Tippi hesitated, but she ran for the door as well, regretting this action dearly.

"**So, you're going to face me alone? Tee hee…this should be interesting…**" Mimi's twisted voice was horrifying to hear, but Peach knew that she had to take this beast down as quickly as she could.

"PINK PURE KISS!" Peach yelled, the pink light shooting straight out from her parasol and at the beastly Mimi. The attack struck, but it only stunned her for a few seconds.

"**That's nothing!**" Mimi taunted, a red gem appearing within her mouth. It shot straight out at Peach, which she barely dodged. It struck straight into the wall, causing a hole. Peach's eyes widened. Whatever that gem was, it was rock solid and sharp enough to drill a deep hole into the castle wall.

"Um, that's going to be a problem…" Peach muttered, raising her parasol once more to try and send another attack flying at Mimi. However, the spider-like monster was faster. Another red gem was shot at Peach's weapon, ripping through the pink parasol's fabric and ruining it for battle purposes.

"**Try and take me down now, you pathetic excuse for a Hero!**" Mimi growled, letting out a loud and deafening laugh afterward that made Peach defenseless.

'_What can I do…_' she thought in despair, seeing that her weapon was ruined from using it against Mimi. Mimi approached Peach, ready to kill her for good. Another red gem was visible from the jaws of Mimi's strange mouth, aimed directly at Peach's heart. This next attack would kill her if she did not find a way to dodge it fast. The gem was fired before Peach had a chance to move, and the princess clamped her eyes shut.

'_I don't want to see her when I go back to the Underwhere…_' she thought, shaking with fear. She waited and waited for the gem to strike her and take her life away, but she saw that it wasn't happening. Slowly, she opened her eyes to see a large, orange barrier covering up her body from the attack.

"**What is going on?! Mimimimi…**" the monster snarled in anger. The barrier soon disappeared, and the gem dropped to the ground. Peach was stunned, her eyes wide. She thought she was truly going to die. Suddenly, she remembered who was symbolized by the color orange.

"Burly…" she uttered her friend's name, slowly getting up. "You were the one who saved me, weren't you?" she looked up at Mimi with narrow eyes.

"**That was just a lucky save! You won't be able to dodge another!**" Mimi screeched, ready to really get rid of Peach. The pink heroine immediately saw the red gem that had dropped to the ground before her, and she knew that she had one shot to take her down. Quickly grabbing it, she wrapped her hands around the ruby gem and picked it up above her head. Just as Mimi was about to fire another ruby colored weapon at her, Peach countered it with throwing the abandoned gem at Mimi. With the sharp end pointing straight at the tender torso, it made a direct hit.

"**MIMIMIMIMIMIMI!**" Mimi screeched, falling back. Blood blended into the gem that drilled into her perfect, smooth skin. Drops of the red goop fell onto the black floor, and the beast transformed back into its innocent, human-like form.

"You bitch! I'll make you pay for staining my perfect outfit with blood!" Mimi yelled, glaring at Peach. Peach saw that the gem had fallen back onto the ground, but with another impact to the floor, it shattered into pieces. She had no more items of defense.

"What are you going to do?" Peach asked, realizing that she was no longer in her horrid monster form. Mimi suddenly realized this as well, her eyes widening.

"Dammit!" Mimi cursed, stomping her foot down. "Oh well, I can still defeat you anyway." A smirk curled across her lips, as she prepared to use her own hands to bring Peach down.

Of course, that would not be needed. Another tremor was what stopped her.

With the similar tremor that occurred before, the room's floor suddenly split in two. Mimi lost her balance, shaking between the two sides of the floor and trying to stand. It was useless, for she finally fell between the gap. She expected to fall and end up in the Underwhere, but a hand caught her before she fell into the abyss.

"W-what are you doing?" Mimi asked, seeing that Peach was trying to save her. But her efforts were no better. Peach used her left arm to try and hold Mimi, while she used her right to try and get herself on the top of the floor that had split.

"I don't know how you were raised, but I was told that I couldn't leave a person in need behind!" Peach struggled to explain why as she tried to get herself up.

"You really are an idiot!" Mimi yelled, mixed feelings swirling around her. She was grateful that Peach was doing this to save her, but it was her enemy who was doing so!

"This may be an act of idiotism, but my friend did the same thing. He…was lost trying to help O'Chunks and to get us to escape. I can only do the same in his honor." Peach said, seeing that her fingers were beginning to slip. Mimi was shocked, her eyes wide.

"You're all so stupid!" she said, suddenly seeing why she was doing this. Her words only held the half-truth, however.

"That's okay." Peach said, smiling. She finally lost her grip and let go of the side, her scream and the scream of Mimi filling the room as they fell into the abyss below.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

It happened once again. The remaining Heroes scurried out of the room, and by that time, the tremor had occurred and the door was slammed shut behind them. Luigi walked back to the door to try and get it open, but it was jammed.

"Peach…!" Luigi's eyes widened as she shouted the name of the pink heroine. No, it was already too late. Mario knew this for a fact, and he turned away from the door, seemingly like he was going to cry. Tippi looked ahead of her, seeing nothing but the darkness of the hallway that led to their next door. She could feel the cold depths of the castle. They were getting very near to where they needed to be.

"It'll be okay, Mute…" Luigi tried to comfort the silent Hero as he began to sob. Tippi looked back upon the two remaining Heroes. With Peach lost as well, she began to lose confidence. What if these two disappeared next? What if _she _disappeared next? Tippi didn't want to admit that she was frightened of what was going to happen. Now that they had run into O'Chunks and Mimi, there was only one minion left. The one that Luigi didn't want to ever run into again.

"Peach is still alive. I know she is. I'm sure that she'll find Bowser, and we'll all meet up somewhere." Tippi tried to cheer the remaining Heroes up. Mario looked over to the "confident" Tippi and gave her a concerned frown.

"Timpani, you don't have to try this hard…" Luigi caught her shaky voice as well. At that, Tippi slightly lost it.

"What if you disappear next? I don't want that to happen!" Tippi yelled.

"Timpani, we're not going to vanish like Peach and Bowser did! Their deaths weren't in vain, and even if we do…um…get left behind, our losses won't be in vain either! Whatever happens, we have to keep going!" Luigi told her, countering her loss of hope. Tippi's eyes were wide with surprise.

"Lulu…" she muttered her best friend's name, tears slowly falling out of her blue eyes. "You're right…I shouldn't worry. I know that we'll get to the end together." Tippi said, smiling. Luigi smiled back, along with Mario.

"Now, let's keep going. We have a universe to save!" Luigi cheered, leading the group further down the hallway and into the next corridor.

The chamber after was a strange one. It sent chills down the Heroes' spine as they arrived in a room where mirrors lined the walls. However, every so often, flashes of Dimentio's reflection shimmered in the mirror's glass, his grin making Luigi jump and prepare to kick the mirror into shards.

"He's watching us, I know it." Luigi muttered. Mario tried to calm Luigi down by squeezing her hand, however he soon realized that it was a little awkward to be doing at this time and place. He let go, his face turning pink. Tippi smiled as she saw this action out of the corner of her eye. Yet, Tippi knew she had to keep her eyes on the mirrors. No matter how fake the reflections of Dimentio may have been, there was always one reflection that stayed longer than the others. Perhaps this was a clue?

"_**Going somewhere?**_" that familiar voice came from one of the mirrors as the group whipped around. Out of the mirror came a blast of energy that resembled one of Dimentio's attacks. Tippi was ready to counter that with her rod.

"RAINBOW REVOLUTION!" she shouted, light erupting from her rod and stopping Dimentio's dark energy. The two attacks canceled each other out and the group was able to advance. As they ran for the door on the other side of the room, Luigi began to think of her situation. She was trapped under Dimentio's eye, and in his words, she was a slave to the Chaos Heart. Invisible strings were attached to her limbs, and she knew that every second she spent in this castle, he was waiting for her in her most weakened state so that he may manipulate her. She wasn't foolish. She wasn't going to let herself go that easily, but yet with the loss of Bowser and Peach, she knew that she had to be next. She would have to face off Dimentio, allowing Mario and Tippi to go forward.

They finally made it to the door and entered, coming to another smaller corridor that seemed all too familiar to the three Heroes. The door before them was unlocked, and they tried to keep their eye open. If they ran for it, something bad could have happened. They had to be careful.

"So, you came! Just as the hungry cat is drawn to a dish of cream!" Dimentio's horrible simile made Luigi glare at the door before her. The jester appeared, floating in midair above the three Heroes.

"Dimentio! Get out of our way!" Luigi yelled.

"Or what? You'll get rid of me? What a laugh! You couldn't even destroy my illusion at the Mirror Hall without having yourself going insane!" Dimentio laughed at his cruel work.

"Tippi, I need to face this guy." Luigi told Tippi, turning to her. Tippi's eyes widened.

"Lulu! You'll…" Tippi was interrupted.

"I know what may happen to me. But that doesn't matter. I told you before that no matter what happens, you've gotta keep going!" Luigi told her, staring into her best friend's eyes with courage glittering within. Merlon fooled Tippi's mind into telling her that this girl, Lulu, was her best friend, and yet, they were still able to create one of the strongest bonds that Tippi had ever witnessed. It was almost like they really had been friends for all of those years! She wasn't ready to lose someone so special to her. But that was before she saw the red-capped Hero step in front of Luigi.

"Oh, what is this?" Dimentio questioned, staring down at the boy's sharp glare.

"Mario? What are you doing?" Luigi asked, her eyes wide. Mario took out his hammer, and stood tall before Dimentio. He was going to defend Luigi! Dimentio laughed at this sight.

"Ah ha ha! So the knight does his duty all too well…" Dimentio mocked. "So be it! I will defeat you first!" Dimentio snapped his fingers, and suddenly the black darkness of the castle melted away into a completely different location. The walls were suddenly a lime green, and several designs were scribbled onto the ceilings and floors.

"What is this?" Luigi asked, knowing that Dimentio had come up with something to give him the advantage.

"This is my brilliant creation! Dimension D! Within this place, my powers are increased!" Dimentio explained, grinning. Mario didn't seem to care of what this place brought. He just wanted to knock that grin off of his face. "So, let's see what you can do!" Dimentio finally challenged Mario, floating lower to the ground.

Mario didn't waste any time at all. He rushed at the jester, chucking his hammer at him.

"Do think before you act." Dimentio said, his smile fading. He easily floated away from the hammer, and fired a star of dark energy at Mario. The impact of the energy threw him back into the wall of the dimension.

"Mario!" Luigi yelled. '_This…this isn't happening! I've got to do something!_' Luigi thought in horror, knowing that this was supposed to be her battle, and yet Mario wanted to defend her anyway! Tippi couldn't just watch, however. She got her rod ready, prepared to use her Rainbow Revolution technique to try and weaken Dimentio. However, the jester knew of Tippi's ability and planned ahead.

"I apologize, but you can't interfere." Dimentio said, raising his hand above his head and casting a spell. Suddenly, a cage formed around Tippi, trapping her. "My dear Luigi, if you and Mario happen to win a duel against me, I will release your friend." Dimentio made that pact clear.

"Damn you!" Luigi cursed, glaring at Dimentio. She leapt in the air, ready to hit him directly there. "GRAND L KICK!" she yelled, her body illuminating with a green light. Dimentio yawned and teleported out of the way, making Luigi crash into the wall.

"Ow….my leg!" Luigi complained, trying to recover from the pain of the impact.

"Is that all you have?" Dimentio asked, pretending to be bored. Mario held up his hand, trying to trap Dimentio in the red barrier that had previously trapped all of his other enemies. Dimentio was able to wiggle through all of them, laughing the entire time. On his last escape from the barrier, he released another star of dark energy at Mario. Mario tried to be prepared this time. Using his strength, he formed a barrier around the energy heading straight at him. With it trapped in the barrier, it no longer had a course of firing at Mario. Using his hammer, Mario slammed the newly created barrier-energy star at Dimentio.

"ACK!" Dimentio was struck and he flailed his arms in pain. He teleported out of the way and reappeared further away. "Clever little boy. I under estimated you." Dimentio chuckled. "Now, let's see how our little Luigi can handle some pressure." Dimentio raised his arms into the air, and suddenly there were three jesters staring at her from the air. "Can you break this illusion?" he mocked.

Luigi looked at all three. One of them was real, while the other two were nothing but a mere illusion. Her eyes darted from one to the other, trying to see if any of them were different than the others. Before she was able to spot any major difference, she saw three large stars of energy heading right at her!

"AAHHH!!" Luigi screamed as all three hit her directly, slamming her back.

"LULU!" Tippi yelled from her cage, horrified from the damage that all three attacks combined caused. Mario would have yelled if he could, but from his facial expression, he was beyond horrified.

"Poor Luigi, you're far too focused on taking down myself instead of your own fear…" Dimentio mocked.

"You _are _my fear!" Luigi grunted, slowly getting back on her feet. Struggling to balance herself, she finally was able to stand. Her legs were shaking, but she had enough strength for another attack. "Tippi, no matter what happens…go on to save Blumiere!" Luigi yelled, rushing at the center Dimentio. She leapt into the air, raising her right leg.

"GRAND L KICK!" she yelled louder than ever, more power gathering around her body and wrapping around the leg. With the speed she was going at, her hat fell off. With a rush of green, her leg slammed into Dimentio. She picked the correct one, and the both of them bashed into the wall with a powerful impact. Both of them were gravely injured.

"Ugh…" Luigi muttered, bruises covering her entire body. Mario rushed over to help support her, and the cage around Tippi disappeared. Suddenly, the green walls of Dimension D returned to the black walls of Castle Noir. They had returned to the castle that they were in before.

"I must say, your power is beyond what I expected…" Dimentio got up, soon floating above the two Heroes who tried to support each other.

"Lulu! Mute!" Tippi tried to rush toward them, but Luigi's glare stopped her.

"Go, Timpani! Don't worry about us!" Luigi shouted, soon seeing that Dimentio didn't even turn his head when Tippi hesitated to leave. Was he going to try and stop her? Tippi didn't want to leave them behind, but there wasn't much of a choice.

"GO!" Luigi screamed, trying to force Tippi to leave. Quickly, without looking back, Tippi ran to the door and escaped. She felt horrible for doing so, but it was the word of her best friend whom she trusted. Mario stared over at Luigi, his grip tightening on her shoulder.

"You think you can cut the strings?" Dimentio turned to Mario and used another energy star to blast him away from Luigi.

"Mute!" Luigi yelled, attempting to rush over and check to see if he was okay. Because of her status, she tripped and struggled to get over to where he was. Dimentio laughed, a wide smirk curling across from under his mask.

"This is so perfect!" Dimentio mocked. "A perfect blend of angst and drama! You struggle to reach your precious Mario, yet you cannot, for you are hurt both within and over your body!" Dimentio remarked.

"Stop it!" Luigi yelled, glaring at Dimentio.

"You do not understand, do you?" Dimentio questioned the green-capped heroine. "Your fate in this has already been sealed." Dimentio stated, smirking. Suddenly, a box appeared around the bodies of Mario, Luigi, and even Dimentio.

"W-what are you doing?" Luigi knew this box. She saw it surround Timpani before she was sent to the Underwhere. Dimentio chuckled.

"If I should go, then I will take the two of you with me! The Count cannot be faced now, for I have failed in defeating you. Therefore, I will do the honor of erasing us all!" Dimentio cackled as he snapped his fingers. At the sound of that snap, several explosions occurred within the boxes.

Slowly, yet painfully, the two remaining Heroes lost themselves in the darkness.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

It was true. They were all gone.

Tippi rushed back to the door she had just walked through, attempting to open it. It was jammed shut. There was no turning back.

"No…" Tippi uttered, her voice shaking. They disappeared…all of her friends…they had all sacrificed themselves for this purpose. They gave their lives to make sure that at least one of them got to this point. Right in front of Tippi were the giant double doors that would lead her straight into Count Bleck's lair.

"They've…they're never coming back…" Tippi muttered, tears soaking down her cheeks. "Burly…Peach…Mute…Lulu…" she sobbed loudly, losing herself in sadness. She sniffled, rubbing her eyes as tears began to stream out non-stop.

"_**Tippi, no matter what happens…go on to save Blumiere!"**_

Those were Lulu's words. As they echoed through her head, it was another way of saying 'suck it up! You have someone else to save'! Tippi wiped away her tears, trying to stand tall. Although she was alone, she had the strength to save this universe. She was no Hero like the other four were, but she had the power of light. As cliché as it was, she had to believe in her own ability to succeed.

"Blumiere, I'm here…" she muttered, stepping forward.

_I'll release you from your despair. _

**Next Time…**

_Everything that I've fought for, everything that still stands, it all comes down to the final duel! Blumiere, listen to the people who love you! Your minions, Nastasia, and me…we don't want you to destroy the universe! We will find a place where we can be together without harm or prejudice! We just need to have hope that we can bring an end to this darkness! We will stop the Chaos Heart before everything is truly gone for good!_

Coming soon!

Episode Nine: Purity and Chaos! Blumiere and Timpani's Promise

**(Author's Notes: Yes, the next one's the last one. NOTE: I also was able to edit this. Thanks, Peach. ) **


	9. Episode Nine

**(Author's Notes: Oh noes, it's the final chapter! Yes, the cliché ending of SPM…AU style! Plus, some added twists that can only be answered in the next story ****Flopflip****! Yes, I added a really big twist in here. And if you ask questions about it, it will be answered in ****Flopflip****. I'd really like to thank all of my reviewers, especially Micro-Mini, Peach the Hedgehog, and Mistress Mel-Mel. Also, thank you to everyone who has supported the story by adding it to their favorites/alert list. You guys rock. Please enjoy this final chapter, and look forward (or not) to the oncoming horror of ****Flopflip!**

**F L I P . / . F L O P**

"_The time has come for her to show us how much she has learned…_"

"Timpani, you'd better save this damn world…"

"I believe in you! Keep going!"

"_I can only nod and motion 'good luck' to you. Please, don't die on us._"

"My best friend…Timpani…you can defeat him!"

"So the time has come for the Purity Heart to try and stop him. However, these games are far from ending…"

_Silence._

"**They're only just beginning.**"

**Episode Nine: Purity and Chaos! Blumiere and Timpani's Promise**

The time had finally come.

Before the double doors that were shrouded in darkness, the lone heroine stood. Her legs shook, and her heart's beat boomed in her ears. Her blonde hair had no shimmer, for no true light revealed itself within the lair she had entered. Her crystal blue eyes were shinning with hope, faith, and a will to try and change fate. She _had _to change it. It was up to her now. Another tremor finally budged her to move toward the door. The more she waited, the less time she had to stop the world's end. She couldn't fear the 'what ifs'.

'_What if I __**do **__die? What if Count Bleck, no, Blumiere dies? What will happen when I finally bring it all to an end?'_

She stopped her thoughts. She couldn't be in doubt now. She looked to the ground, trying to keep her focus on saving the universe. It was difficult, now that she was the only one left. Did Merlon know all along that the Heroes would be lost? Is that why he told her that she had an important role, although she was no Hero? She gripped her rod tightly, her eyes trailing over to the eight, small hearts that laid within.

Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, and white. All eight Pure Hearts were lined within the glass rod, giving off a pure light to allow the heroine to see her way into the room. The room where she would come face to face with the master of the Dark Prognosticus.

'_Stop doubting…you have no time for that…_' her thoughts reminded her. Why couldn't she keep grips on courage? She was still young, unable to see past the sadness and despair of her friend's deaths. She kept telling herself that they weren't dead, but that fact was hard to agree with. Another tremor made her move closer to the door. She had to stop stalling. She took one last look at her rod with the eight hearts, and she took in a breath. She placed a shaking hand on the door, slowly pushing it open.

The world's fate would now be decided.

It was Tippi and the Purity Heart or Count Bleck and the Chaos Heart.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

The Dark Prognosticus was slammed shut as the sound of footsteps alerted Count Bleck. The caped enemy turned his head, seeing that his worst fears were finally facing him. Upon his tall pillar, he looked down at the maiden below. The rainbow dressed Heroine that was once his lover was right there, standing before him. _Ready to destroy him for the better of the world. _To his right, Nastasia's frowning lips were soon bit in a nervous manner. She gripped her clipboard tightly, her eyes darting between both Bleck and Tippi.

"Bleck welcomes you, lone heroine of the Light Prognosticus!" Count Bleck finally broke the silence as Tippi neared the two villains. Nastasia looked away from Count Bleck and Tippi, her fingers fiddling around her elbows.

"Blumiere…please stop this!" Tippi begged. She didn't want to harm him, but yet she did not want to delay time. She tried once more to convince him. There was no harm in trying once again. But, to her dismay (and terror), she saw that his rod was now pointing at her. Nastasia's body shook. She obviously did not want to witness this. Count Bleck took notice of it.

"Nastasia, please leave us. Bleck will deal with this alone." Count Bleck told Nastasia. The secretary's eyes widened.

"But…count!" she tried to object.

"That's an _order._" Bleck spat. Nastasia gave Tippi a look of deep worry before she disappeared from sight, leaving the polar opposite warriors to each other.

"I don't want to hurt you!" Tippi argued. She gripped her own rod, shaking at the sight of Count Bleck's diamond-tipped staff. "I never did! I hate that I'm your enemy!" Tippi yelled. A void began to gather upon the tip of Bleck's staff, firing straight at Tippi. Her eyes widened as it flew straight at her, beginning to scar her pale skin. Slowly, yet painfully, it began to cut the open skin and forcefully push her to the ground. A strong, small, void.

"Nothing can stop it now, Timpani…" Bleck looked away at Tippi's body, not wanting to bare the sight of her in pain. Tippi's wide eyes saw that he was in pain. She couldn't bare that sight either. "I do not want to…but if you interfere…" Bleck's voice was not as cold as it was before, yet it still seemed to have its twisted character.

"Blumiere…I remember now…if this is about my memory…" Tippi sobbed as she tried to escape from the void that Bleck created. Count Bleck suddenly looked back at Tippi, but soon regretted that he did. Her body was now covered in scars created by _his _attack.

"I remember how we were in love, and how your father took me away because we were from different tribes…ugh…" Tippi tried to struggle her way to Count Bleck, yet her body strength and stamina was weakened by his previous attack.

"You remember?" Count Bleck lowered his staff, his eyes wide.

"Why do you still want to destroy these worlds now that we have found each other?" Tippi asked, her voice weak. Count Bleck was silent, however he rose up his staff again. Tippi saw that she had to defend herself this time. He released another void, however her wings helped her. She got out her rod, flipping it around through her hands as she dodged the void.

"RAINBOW REVOLUTION!" she screamed, the sphere of light shooting out of her rod and firing straight at Bleck. Before it struck him, a shield immediately appeared around his body. In the center, the familiar, black heart was forming it. "The Chaos Heart!"

"Yes…" Count Bleck said, looking up at the floating Tippi. "As long as I so live, the Chaos Heart shall swallow everything!" Count Bleck explained.

"_**No…**_" She knew that the Chaos Heart was the tool for the Void's growth.

"Timpani, you cannot stop me even if you wanted to…I do not want to harm you any more…I've done too many things to hurt you, and it is only right that everything is destroyed, along with me." Count Bleck explained.

"You're wrong!" Tippi yelled. She floated down on the pillar that Nastasia was previously standing on, near Bleck. He raised his staff up again. "You have done nothing to harm me!" Tippi argued. "These worlds shouldn't have to die because you couldn't find me…" Tippi whispered, her voice shaking.

"I wanted to destroy everything that took you away from me!" Bleck argued.

"But I'm back now!" Tippi yelled. "Don't lose yourself to the despair! BLUMIERE!"

"It's too late! The boy known as Count Blumiere is _dead_! There is only Bleck! The true master of the Dark Prognosticus…is Count Bleck!" with those words, another Void was released from his rod. Tippi jumped away from the pillar, falling quite a ways down and landing on her feet.

"Ow…" Tippi muttered to herself. She got out her rod again. '_Blumiere…I know you are not lost…_' she thought. "RAINBOW REVOLUTION!" she yelled again, trying her attack once more. The light sphere was bigger this time, and it flew right at Bleck. His barrier and the Chaos Heart deflected it.

"You cannot stop Bleck! Soon, everything shall be destroyed! BLEH HEH HEH! BLECK!" he laughed, the cold element of his voice returning.

'_What can I do…?_' Tippi's thoughts were interrupted by a large tremor. It was the largest tremor she had felt. She could feel the rumbles of earthquakes from other worlds. They were all being destroyed.

"Ah, the sweet sound of destruction…" Count Bleck said, a smirk curling across his face.

"No, it can't end…!" Tippi yelled, once again attempting to try Rainbow Revolution. Count Bleck tried a new attack. A sphere of darkness erupted from his rod, similar to Tippi's Rainbow Revolution technique. However, it was for the dark element. It was a direct hit, and Tippi fell back. Her scream didn't seem to phase Count Bleck.

"No matter how many times you try, it will all be in vain!" Bleck exclaimed, raising his arms into the air. Tippi tried to get up, yet it was difficult.

"I…will not…give up!" Tippi yelled, glaring at Count Bleck. Despite all of the wounds on her body, she was still able to stand. "My friends _died _trying to get me here! I will not let their _deaths _be in vain!" Tippi screamed, pointing her rod at him once more.

"Stubborn fool!" Count Bleck yelled, firing another sphere of dark energy at her. Tippi was able to dodge it this time.

"Blumiere, I know you're still there!" Tippi yelled. "Please, I believe in you most of all…we can stop this from happening….please…" Tippi begged.

"Bleck is surprised! Your will to save your lover has reduced you to begging!" Bleck laughed. "Bleck scoffs at your attempt! Your words cannot do anything!" another Void erupted from his rod, making a direct hit at Tippi. This void was much larger, and it was doing more damage to the young heroine. The dark force pushed her body lower and lower as scraps of solid, shadow energy pounded against her previously open wounds and new areas of her body. Her scream echoed through the room, suddenly making Count Bleck's eyes widen. Ruby, red blood splattered on the ground as Tippi fell to her knees. The damage of the void had done far too much to injure her. She could barely keep herself conscious, or even alive. That attack seemed to truly do her in. Count Bleck floated down before her, and she looked up at him with the most painful look he had ever seen.

"You cannot stop it, Timpani…" Count Bleck said, turning away from Tippi's frail body. The damage that had been caused to Tippi caused her transformation to deactivate. The heroine's outfit faded away from her, revealing her school uniform and brunette hair. Tears were in her eyes, from both the excessive pain and Bleck's despair.

"We can, Blumiere…" Timpani whispered.

"It is far too late, Timpani. I don't want to hurt you again…" Bleck's voice was full of sadness. It tore at Timpani's heart, making the deepest wound of all. She hated the sound of his despair, and she desperately wanted to heal him. He was so lost; he didn't realize that what he was searching for was right before him.

"Please, just listen to me. We can stop this together. The Pure Hearts…" Timpani began, trying to shake him out of his state. Bleck's eyes narrowed into a glare.

"The Light Prognosticus is false!" Count Bleck pointed his rod straight at Timpani's neck, making her cringe.

"You're losing yourself with the power of the Chaos Heart…please, Blumiere…" Timpani begged. "_I want you to live…_" her whisper made him hesitate. His red eyes widened and he backed away.

"You…you…stop!" Count Bleck was ready to kill her, however Timpani realized that he was fighting this dark attack. He didn't want to kill her, yet the fact that the Chaos Heart was defending him made it so he would get rid of anyone who defied the Dark Prognosticus. _He wanted her to live too. _

However, miracles are very unexpected. And also come at very strange times.

"HEY! Pretty boy! If she wants you to listen to her, YOU'LL FREAKING LISTEN TO HER!"

Flames shot out of the large double doors, heading straight toward where Count Bleck was standing. His barrier was able to shield him from the fire, but the heat certainly caught his attention.

"Who dares to try and stop Bleck?" Count Bleck turned to the door. Timpani's face lit up.

'_There's no way…_' Timpani thought, knowing that voice from anywhere. The door was burnt down, and soon Bowser was leading the other three Heroes into the room.

"Timpani!" Luigi yelled, rushing towards the injured girl. Her eyes widened at all of the injuries that were on Timpani's body.

"Lulu?! How…how did you all…" Timpani was shocked at the sudden arrival of her friends. "I thought you were done for!" she openly admitted, sure that their games were over once she couldn't return to the rooms they were in before.

"I fell through a hole in the ceiling that tried to crush me." Bowser explained. "Then, I fell down a gap and landed on a really, really hard ground. It really hurt, but what doesn't kill me only makes me stronger." Bowser bragged.

"When I let go of the ledge, I landed on Burly. It was a surprisingly soft landing." Peach said, smiling.

"I'm not sure what exactly happened, but Peach found me and Mute unconscious." Luigi explained. Mario nodded.

"Everyone…I'm so glad that you're all safe…" Timpani was so happy to see all of the Heroes.

"Bah, your sudden reunion sickens Bleck…" Count Bleck said, staring at each one with disgust.

"Blumiere…" Luigi muttered. "You did this to Timpani, didn't you?!" Luigi yelled. Her sharp glare at the Count made him stare with shock. He actually seemed surprised that Luigi would defend her. "Don't you _love _her?" Luigi asked, nearing him.  
"Don't try and do the same as she did." Count Bleck was sick of hearing them object by using Blumiere's affections. "If she could not break through, then your words will do less than nothing. Blumiere does not care for you, and neither does Bleck!" Count Bleck fired another dark sphere, but this time at Luigi. Luigi shielded herself with her arms, however Mario was quick enough to seal the sphere in a red barrier. He quickly took out his hammer and slammed the sphere back at Bleck, but his shield covered him.

"That was the Chaos Heart!" Peach knew right away what the black heart was in the center of his shield.

"No crap." Bowser muttered. "Hey! How dare you use the sign of our love in your freaking barrier?!" Bowser remembered how the Chaos Heart was created. Luigi and Mario groaned, shaking their heads.

"Burly, that wasn't really you…" Luigi remembered as well.

"SHUT UP!" Bowser yelled back. He was pretty serious about this.

"Bleck laughs at your union with the pure-hearted princess!" Count Bleck said, summoning another void in his staff. "You cannot harm Bleck, and your words do nothing to convince Bleck!" he yelled, releasing the void on the Heroes.

"FIERY WRATH!" Bowser tried to counter it with flames. That only made it worse. Now, the void had fireballs floating around in it.

"Nice going." Luigi said sarcastically before the void struck. It did the same damage to Timpani, however the human girl was able to roll out of the way of this next void.

"No!" Timpani yelled, now witnessing the pain that the void was causing for her friends. "Dammit, I will not let this go any further!" Timpani gripped her rod tightly.

'_Nolrem told me that I had a new power now that I have all eight Pure Hearts. I wonder…_' Timpani thought, holding up the rod in front of her.

"Again? How many times do you think that puny attack will fail?" Bleck mocked. Timpani ignored him, raising the rod into the air.

"Mario…Peach…Bowser…Luigi…Heroes of the Light Prognosticus!" Timpani beckoned for the Heroes after they were scarred by Bleck's attack. "I need your strength! I must use Nolrem's technique in order to restore everything in this universe!" Timpani explained.

"Timpani…" Peach saw the confidence brimming from Timpani, although she was not in her heroine form. '_She does not have to be her true self in order to show her power…_' she thought, impressed. Suddenly, on Timpani's rod, a pink orb began to float around the glass rod.

"Yeah, we'll take down this Count Bleck!" Bowser cheered. An orange orb appeared next to the pink one. Mario smiled and held his hammer tightly. He could not speak his confidence for Timpani, yet a red orb began to circle the rod anyway along with the other two.

"Timpani, my best friend…" Luigi began, "Although we weren't really friends in the past, we know each other better than ever before. I know that you can save this universe and be with Blumiere, just as you were born to be!" Luigi exclaimed, a green orb appearing to complete the full circle of orbs.

The four orbs began to quickly surround the rod, suddenly sucking into the glass and making the rod glow. Without warning, the Pure Hearts began to float out of the rod, all eight of them surrounding the Heroes.

"W-what is this?!" Bleck's smirk was gone, replaced with an open mouth of shock and slight fear. The eight Pure Hearts began to circle around Bleck, revealing the barrier that surrounded him. The Chaos Heart was disclosed to the entire group, and the barrier shattered into several pieces. Without warning, the Chaos Heart floated straight into Count Bleck's body, in need of a place to rest.

"M-my shield…!" Count Bleck's defense was gone.

"I think it's time to kick some ass now…" Bowser said with a smirk of his own. Peach took out her slightly damaged parasol, and Mario took out his hammer. Luigi already had her legs as weapons. Timpani realized that Bleck could actually be _damaged _now. She was scared.

"Bah! Bleck does not need the Chaos Heart as a shield!" Count Bleck exclaimed, firing another attack on the Heroes.

"PURE PINK KISS!" Peach exclaimed, the pink light of her attack firing from her parasol and at Bleck. The light attack countered the dark one, suddenly shattering the dark sphere and striking Count Bleck.

"GRAND L KICK!" Luigi had leaped into the air, green energy wrapping around her body. Her leg hit Count Bleck directly in the gut, making him keel over. He spat out blood, which made Timpani cringe. She had to stop them!

"Wait…everyone…" Timpani looked at the floating Pure Hearts nearby, all floating on their own. She neared them, and they seemed to react to her. "I need to stop this! I care about both my friends and Blumiere!" she yelled, the Pure Hearts seemingly heeding her command. They began to encircle her, and a brilliant light filled the room.

"W-WHAT IS GOING ON, DEMANDED BLECK?!" Count Bleck yelled, his arms flailing in the air as the light began to engulf everyone. The eight Pure Hearts then seemed to fuse together, creating one Purity Heart. It landed in Timpani's hands as it let loose another ray of light. It headed straight at Count Bleck, who then was damaged greatly by the pain of this blinding attack.

"PURE REVITALIZATION!" Timpani yelled, the full effect of this ability taking place. The Heroes felt their wounds fading away, yet Count Bleck had to shield his eyes to try and lessen the pain of her attack.

A few moments passed as the light soon faded. The Purity Heart had floated back within Timpani's rod, and the light had completely dimmed down. Timpani's eyes widened as she saw Count Bleck on the ground before her, kneeling. His cape was torn a part, his monocle had cracked and nearly broke, and his dark blue skin was bruised horribly. Her eyes widened, rushing to him and kneeling over.

"Blumiere!" she yelled, trying to make sure he was okay. "I'm so sorry!"

The other Heroes saw what had happened and watched with interest. Bowser and Peach's eyes widened as they saw the Chaos Heart escape from Count Bleck's body, floating away from the Count and on top of the pillar he previously stood on.

"Timpani…heroes of the Light Prognosticus…please end my life…" Count Bleck begged. Timpani threw her arms around the injured Count Bleck, making him cringe at her sudden movement, yet, that was not because he did not want it. It was because it was sudden and it stung his injuries.

"No! I won't lose you again, Blumiere!" Timpani yelled, tears falling onto Bleck's wounds. "I don't want us to be a part ever again!"

"Even after I have hurt you so much, my dear Timpani?" Bleck questioned, shocked that she would still want him to be alive after everything he had done. "I do not deserve to live any more…" he muttered. "I have done terrible things, and once you destroy me, the prophecy of the Dark Prognosticus will be stopped." Count Bleck explained.

"Isn't there another way?!" Timpani asked, sobbing. The other Heroes watched, sharing Timpani's sadness. Peach was probably crying the most. She was moved by Timpani's love and found herself crying more than she ever had before. Even Bowser was crying (but he wasn't going to make that obvious to the others).

"Count!" Nastasia had reappeared in the room, rushing over to Count Bleck.

"Nastasia…" Count Bleck looked up at the secretary.

"Count, you can't die!" it was her turn to beg. "We'd be _miserable _without you!" a tremor almost interrupted her.

"Nastasia, it is that tremor that tells me that I cannot be in this world any longer." Count Bleck explained. "Everything that created that earthquake is my fault." Bleck explained. Timpani hugged Count Bleck tighter, sobbing on his shoulder.

"Timpani, please do not cry for me…" Bleck's voice softened. "I searched the entire world for you after my father made you disappear. I searched for two years, and when I could not find you, I lost all hope. I thought you were gone for good. Without you, the universe held no meaning or joy." Bleck explained.

"Blumiere…" Timpani muttered.

"Yet, when I stepped into the classroom on our first day of school, and I heard your name, hope began to set back in my mind. I _knew _it had to be you, yet it seemed like you did not know me. Because of that, I lost that small glimmer of hope. You had forgotten everything that had happened…" Bleck explained.

"If I hadn't lost my memory, I would have truly been dead." Timpani explained. "Merlon saved me, but he had to erase my memory and rewrite it. Now that I remember it…I…I…" she began to sob again.

"I am truly happy that I was able to find you before I could finally…rest…" Bleck muttered.

"**COUNT! LOOK OUT!**"

Suddenly, Nastasia threw her body over the couple as a familiar energy star flew straight into her back. Nastasia fell to the ground, her glasses dropping off her eyes.

"NATASHA!" Timpani yelled, turning her attention away from Bleck and seeing her fall to save Count Bleck.

"Nas-Nastasia…" Bleck muttered, his eyes wide.

"What a pitiful act." Came a voice that the Heroes thought that they would never hear again. "He wanted to die, so what was the point of that, Nastasia?"

"_Dimentio!_" Luigi hissed, glaring at the arrival of the floating jester.

"Oh, feisty little heroine!" Dimentio mocked, floating nearby the pillar in which the Chaos Heart was sitting upon. "Yet, I cannot do harm to you, dear Luigi." Dimentio chimed.

"Dimentio, how are you alive?" Timpani demanded, sharing the same venomous glare that Luigi pointed at him.

"An act known as revenge." Dimentio explained. "I knew that Count Bleck wasn't going to give us a land of paradise like he promised. Instead, he wanted to destroy the worlds all over the loss of you!" Dimentio pointed at Timpani. "However, now that the Chaos Heart is free from his hands, I just suppose that _anyone _could just come and take its power…" Dimentio smirked as he floated near the large, black heart.

"You wouldn't…!" Peach yelled, knowing exactly what he was planning to do.

"Oh no! _I _can't use the power of the Chaos Heart! Well, I can, but I can't." Dimentio chuckled.

"What does that mean?" Bowser growled, confused that he could and couldn't use the power of the Chaos Heart. Dimentio floated closer to the Chaos Heart, his piercing yellow eyes turning toward one Hero. _Luigi. _

"My Count…" he spoke toward Count Bleck in a mocking tone, chuckling after. Count Bleck was far too injured to try and act as he openly poked fun at the master of the Dark Prognosticus. "Do you recall a passage in the Dark Prognosticus along the lines of 'the one in green stands on the line between light and dark?'" Dimentio questioned.

"Lulu…" Timpani whispered, knowing her fate was different than the other Heroes. Luigi's body shook, her eyes were wide. She did not want to know what came after that passage. She knew right away that she was doomed. Attempting to stand, Count Bleck lightly pushed away Timpani's arms and glared at the jester. Timpani backed away, allowing him to make his own movements.

"Dimentio, you vile magician, you were plotting to stab me in the back all along!" Bleck yelled, his sharp glare and tone of voice making Dimentio laugh even more.

"Ah ha ha! No, not all along. I was a loyal, little minion for you…until I heard you speak with such deep sadness of how everything had no meaning. Yes, I remember the day you fell into that despair…Count Blumiere. Your father was only trying to protect you, you know. _You know our kind and humans can never mix._" Dimentio taunted.

"You…how do you know of that day?!" Bleck was now standing, yet his legs were shaking. It was apparent that he was gravely injured. Timpani tried to help support him, yet he shook his head quickly and stood before her. An act of protection?

"You mean you do not remember? Ah, Blumiere, you have truly lost your mind! I was one who entertained the king of the Tribe of Darkness!" he explained. "Although you may not remember my…previous appearance, that can only be for good reason." Dimentio finally floated off the pillar and closer towards Luigi. "However, the times of the past are coming to an end. The true games are about to begin."

"You…" Timpani's voice was full of poison. This jester made Lulu suffer, and now was allowing Blumiere to suffer as well. She pointed her rod at Dimentio, ready to use the power of the Purity Heart against him.

"You are Lady Timpani, correct?" Dimentio asked. "I remember the day when I sent you away…" Dimentio chuckled. Count Bleck raised his hand beneath his cape, creating a barrier before Timpani as a shield.

"_**You**_! You took Timpani away from me!" Bleck hissed.

"Ah, no…" Dimentio raised a hand in defense. "Your _father _was aware of my power and bribed me." Dimentio explained.

"_**It's better to send you to the Underwhere NOW**_." Count Bleck's voice was darker than ever as he raised his rod up.

"You worry too much over that girl." Dimentio mocked. "Yet, I should not be so concerned with old stories like that. I must begin the course towards my new and perfect world!" he exclaimed, snapping the fingers of his right hand. By snapping his middle finger and thumb together, Luigi suddenly stood up straight. Mario's eyes widened as Luigi made this sudden movement.

"Lulu! What are you…" Peach was also shocked at this sudden movement. Dimentio chuckled and clapped his hands together. Luigi's arms suddenly began to flail about.

"Ahhh! What's going on?! I can't control myself!" Luigi yelled, trying to get a hold of her body. It was her worst fears come true. She could not feel any piece of her body. It was numb and under the control of the puppeteer that haunted her dreams. Mario rushed over to the green-capped hero, trying to stop the uncontrollable arms. However, it was far too late.

"I told you that you could not cut your own strings." Dimentio explained, parting his hands and suddenly motioning them toward himself. Without warning, Luigi flew up into the air and toward the pillar where the Chaos Heart was sitting.

"Timpani!" Luigi yelled, unable to get out of this mess on her own.

"Lulu!" Timpani rushed past Count Bleck and over near the pillar. "RAINBOW…" she pointed her rod at Dimentio as if to damage him with her attack, yet Dimentio had a plan of his own. With a quick motion of his hand, Luigi was suddenly in the way between Timpani's rod and himself.

"Go ahead." Dimentio said with a smirk. "Strike down your friend!" Timpani froze and lowered her rod.

"I didn't think you would." Dimentio taunted as he turned back toward Luigi who was stuck in midair. Mario rushed toward the pillar, followed by Peach and Bowser. The three Heroes all prepared to attack, however Dimentio used his same defensive technique.

"Don't try and be so daring." Dimentio explained, a more serious element to his voice this time. Mario was horrified at the sight of Luigi's frozen body, trapped in midair. He could see small, white strings attached to her limbs. So Dimentio's monologues about her being a puppet were more than just metaphorical. He was truly controlling her, and he regretted not being able to help her.

"Ms. L, it's time for you to accept your true destiny as keeper of the Chaos Heart!" Dimentio exclaimed, raising his hands into the air. With his actions, Luigi's body drew slowly near to the Chaos Heart. She tried to squirm and escape, yet with all of her might, she could not move her body on her own will. All she could do was allow a loud scream to emit from her throat as she finally felt her body collide with the Chaos Heart.

"NO!" Timpani screamed, holding up her rod. She attempted to transform into Rainbow Tippi, yet no light engulfed her to transform. She had no energy to allow the transformation to take place, and she did not know why.

Luigi, on the other hand, was sucked into the Chaos Heart, her screaming suddenly coming to a stop. A powerful wave of darkness covered the room as a loud beating sound began to take the place of Luigi's shrill scream. The Chaos Heart had finally found its master, and the beating of the heart began to get faster and faster. The wave of darkness began to sweep through the entire room, and Timpani tried to defend herself with her arms in front of her body. She fell back, skid marks now on the floor. Bowser held onto Peach, trying to shield her from the pressure. Mario flew back as well, but took more damage than Timpani because he collided into the wall. Timpani, on the other hand, was caught by Count Bleck before slamming back into the wall along with Mario.

"Lulu…" Timpani whispered, witnessing the horrible sight before her. She clung to Count Bleck, not wanting to watch this.

Before the group, a new being had appeared. It was large enough to almost touch the ceiling of the room. A giant robot-like being was standing tall before the Heroes and Count Bleck, garbed in the clothing that seemed to be a combination between Dimentio's and Luigi's. Large, white fists were placed at its sides, while a large, white collar was at its neck. Its feet were the same footwear as Luigi's, the brown, common shoes. However, the head of this giant being resembled Luigi's, yet there was something demonic about it.

"Dimentio…what have you done?" Count Bleck questioned, glaring at the jester who floated behind the giant keeper of the Chaos Heart.

"Ah, Count Bleck, you look so pathetic, I forgot you were there!" Dimentio said with a smile as he suddenly snapped his fingers again. In a mere second, Timpani, Count Bleck and the unconscious Nastasia disappeared.

"What did you do with them?" Peach demanded.

"They will be left in Dimension D, where I will deal with them later. Now, I will vanquish you Heroes of the Light Prognosticus!" Dimentio yelled, laughing afterward. Mario's face showed a great emotion of despair and fear. It was obvious that he was concerned for Luigi's fate, and what would happen if they didn't do anything. Bowser glared daggers at the jester, stomping nearby where he floated in place.

"What the hell happened to Luigi?!" he commanded. "I know that Mario can't talk for himself, so dammit, I'll ask for him!" this was a rare moment where Bowser actually stood up for his rival. It wouldn't happen too often again.

"She is the ideal host of the Chaos Heart!" Dimentio exclaimed. He floated over toward her head, and suddenly the giant opened its mouth and allowed Dimentio to float inside. The mouth closed over him, and Dimentio had total control.

"With her power fused with the Chaos Heart, I will obliterate all imperfection in this world and create my ideal universe!" Dimentio's voice boomed through the mouth of the large being. The left fist of the giant being was raised into the air, suddenly slamming down near the group. They were all lucky enough to dodge this first shot, but he had a second one ready. The next one hit.

"AHHH!" Peach got the worst of the hit, flying back. She tried to use her parasol to lessen the impact on the wall, and it slightly worked. She was still harmed greatly, yet she could still stand. Mario almost got out of the way, but the hit was brutal upon him as well.

"FIERY WRATH!" Bowser was able to recover from the hit quickly and prepare his attack. The wave of fire blew straight at the giant Luigi being, however as it struck the torso, it seemed to cancel out. Smoke that previously made up the shape of the fire began to trail up towards the ceiling of the room, creating a thin wave of gas and gray air.

"What?!" Bowser was shocked to see that his fire began to turn to smoke as it hit the black texture of the being.

"Foolish hero, I cannot be harmed!" Dimentio exclaimed, a grin curling across the face of the being. "Without the power of your Purity Heart, there is no way you can break through the power of both Luigi and the Chaos Heart!" Dimentio explained, his right fist ready to strike down at Bowser. As the fist shot straight at Bowser, Mario held out his hands and tried to create a red barrier to stop it.

"Bowser!" Peach yelled, hoping that Bowser would not be hit. She clutched her hands together, clasping them tightly to pray that Mario's barrier would hold the fist back. Mario's strength could not match up to the ability of Dimentio's, and the barrier canceled out. The fist flew straight into Bowser, knocking him back.

"Argh…" Bowser growled, unable to move. Quickly, Peach approached the largest Hero and placed a hand on one of his wounds. A pink light surrounded the wound, and it slowly disappeared.

"When did you learn how to do that?" Bowser asked in confusion, unaware that the compassionate heroine was able to heal.

"I picked it up." Peach explained, backing away from Bowser and turning back toward their enemy. Mario took out his hammer, ready to use it to try and destroy the fusion of the Chaos Heart and Luigi. He had no other option, and the combination of this monster and the tremors symbolized that the end of all dimensions were neigh. He rushed at the being, ramming his hammer straight into its leg. It did nothing. The being's left fist drilled straight into the boy, catching him off guard and sent him back into the wall next to Bowser. The being's next target was Peach, for she seemed to resist the pain that was caused in her first blow.

"It's useless! Your powers do nothing to stop me!" Dimentio repeated, smirking. Lasers suddenly shot out of the being's eyes, aimed directly at Peach. Trying to put her parasol up as a shield again, she attempted to shield herself. But as Dimentio stated, it was no use. The lasers shot at her and she was unable to fight back.

"Is this the end?" Peach asked, her voice weak.

"It looks like it…" Bowser muttered, discouraged. Mario didn't want to accept that fact, however. He tried to stand again, his legs shaking. Gripping his hammer, he rushed at the being again. He hammered against the leg, these strikes doing nothing to break through its skin.

"Stubborn boy!" Dimentio hissed. "Do you really think you can stop me? Or perhaps your intentions are not to stop me…but to save her…" Dimentio referred to Luigi. At the mention of Luigi, Mario's attacks began to increase in force. Yes, that was his reason. Dimentio knew this all along. "Her destiny is being fulfilled. You should stay back…" Dimentio said sharply, another wave of lasers shooting toward Mario.

"MUTE!" Peach screamed as Mario was shot by one of the lasers. Where was the hope now? The Heroes were in a weakened state, and Dimentio was unable to be harmed. It seemed like there was nothing they could do. They had no help, while Timpani used the Purity Heart's power and now there was truly _nothing_.

"We're done for…" Bowser muttered.

"We can't be done for! There's just no way!" Peach refused this time. "There's got to be a way…"

"Peach, we've tried everything!" Bowser remained with his pessimistic attitude. "This guy hasn't felt a single attack we've attempted!" Bowser explained. Peach looked up at the being and its large fists. It was ready for the final blow.

"But it just can't be over…" Peach whispered. Bowser looked down at the floor in despair, his eyes soon darting over to the injured Mario. His body was so damaged that his transformation came undone, leaving the red-capped Hero in his human form.

"Mute…" Peach whispered, trying to reach him. "This isn't how it should be over…" she muttered, looking back at Bowser.

"Your pathetic attempts are in vain, I'm afraid! It's time to end this game, wouldn't you say?" Dimentio questioned, the fists cocked and ready to strike.

The three Heroes looked up in horror. Time began to slow down for all three of them.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

Deep in Dimension D, Timpani and Count Bleck had been teleported to the center of the lonesome dimension along with Nastasia's unconscious body. Count Bleck had been starring at the floor of the dimension for the longest time, while Timpani attempted to transform with her rod. Her last attempts to shake the rod resulted in failure, as were the other attempts that she tried.

"C'mon! Why won't you work?" Timpani yelled at her rod, trying to get it to allow her to use the transformation. Count Bleck finally looked up at his past lover, seeing her sob to herself. "I…I have to save my friends…I have to save the universe before everything is destroyed…" she muttered, gripping her rod tightly.

"We can't escape." Count Bleck said loud enough so Timpani would draw her attention to him. She was shocked at his sudden outburst.

"What are you saying, Blumiere?" Timpani asked.

"Dimentio has the power of the Chaos Heart, and since you used the power of the Purity Heart to stop me, there is truly nothing that can match him." Count Bleck explained. Timpani's eyes were wide with shock. Was he truly saying these things? With such a serious tone? She walked closer to him, setting down her rod on the dimension's floor. Slowly, she placed her hands within the gloves of Count Bleck.

"Do you remember the promise we made two years ago?" Timpani asked, a weak smile appearing on her face. Count Bleck was surprised at the sudden change of subject, but there was no dodging this. He did not want to dodge it. Not when he had found the lady he had loved that was lost for two years.

"Of course, Timpani." He said softly, returning the smile. "That we would find a place where we could be together. A place that would accept our love." He stated. Timpani's grip on his hands tightened. She stared straight into his crimson eyes, the aching pain of nostalgia taking its affect on her heart.

"If we give up now, we will never find that place. Neither of us will be able to be happy, for everything will be gone. Now that we've found each other, there's a reason why the world should still be living on for the both of us." Timpani explained.

"Timpani…" Count Bleck whispered. His smile faded, but that did not mean that he wasn't happy.

"She's right, Count!" came a voice from behind the happy couple.

A familiar, Scottish accent made the two turn around. Count Bleck's loyal minions were right behind them, smiling and happy to see their master.

"Yeh can't give up now!" O'Chunks exclaimed. "Not when we need yeh!"

"How…how did you find us?" Count Bleck asked, shocked to see his minions appear before him.

"Aw, we can find that smile of yours anywhere, Count!" Mimi explained, winking at the Count. O'Chunks rolled his eyes.

"'She be a real good liar, Count!" O'Chunks stated. Mimi glared at O'Chunks. "Nastasia be the one who alerted us ta come 'ere!" O'Chunks explained. Count Bleck turned toward the unconscious secretary.

"Nastasia…" he muttered. "You did so much for me, and asked for nothing in return…" Count Bleck was amazed with her efforts.

"Talk about goin' teh extra mile! She even protected yeh!" O'Chunks shared Bleck's reaction of amazement.

"Count, you've got to stop Dimentio! He did a mean, nasty trick to you! We can't forgive him for that!" Mimi stated, stomping her foot on the ground. "I mean, he even took away Timpani from you! I heard about that story! You really can't let that go! IT PISSES ME OFF! It should piss you off too!" Mimi ranted.

Count Bleck stared with wide eyes at his minions. He turned his head to see Timpani and her compassionate smile, and it was right then that he felt the glimmer of hope that he thought he had lost.

"My loyal minions…" he whispered, tipping his hat in front of his face. '_I thank you…_' he thought, smiling.

'_The despair is finally leaving…_' Timpani thought, her smile growing bigger. '_Blumiere…everything is going to be all right…_' her thoughts continued. Suddenly, there was a glimmer of light from Timpani's rod that was discarded on the floor. It seemed to activate randomly, emitting the bright light that the Purity Heart had let out.

"What's goin' on?!" O'Chunks asked, staring at the rod.

"The Purity Heart is reacting to something…" Timpani explained. It took her longer to figure out what exactly it was reacting to, but Count Bleck knew right away. He smiled.

"Timpani, use the Purity Heart's power and aid the Heroes. It has been reawakened by our love…and the bond of my minions." Count Bleck explained. O'Chunks and Mimi looked at each other with a smile. Timpani picked up the rod, staring at the light that it emitted.

"Will you come with me to help defeat him? I cannot do it alone." Timpani said, smiling.

"Of course yeh can't!" O'Chunks said, grinning. "I'll give Dimentio a taste of OOOOO'CHUNKS!" the warrior exclaimed.

"Don't forget about me! Mimimimi!" Mimi chuckled.

"I will always be there to help you, my dear Timpani." Count Bleck said, sharing her compassionate smile. That compliment made the young girl blush, but that was an action that disappeared quickly. She raised the rod into the air, the light engulfing the entire room. In mere seconds as the light faded, they had all disappeared.

Now, the true battle was going to begin.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

"It's time for me to end this game, don't you say?" questioned Dimentio. The final attack was about to strike down on the weakened Heroes. Time seemed to slow down for a few moments as the fist began to lower toward the Heroes. They could not budge. They could not counter it. _It was all going to end. _

Yet, there was always a way out of it.

A sudden burst of light suddenly stopped the fist before it hit the Heroes, sending it back into the being's head. Because it was invincible, it did nothing for damage. Yet, the force sent it back towards the opposite wall.

"What was that?!" Peach asked, looking up.

Within the light, the shape of the Purity Heart was visible. It shimmered with the brightest light the Heroes had ever seen, even brighter than the light that had been used to stop Bleck before. Its beating was similar to the beating of the Chaos Heart, however this sound was music to the Heroes' ears. Their wounds began to heal with the strong light, and they found the strength to stand. None of them spoke, however, for the sight they were seeing was something greater than a miracle.

"What is happening?" Dimentio asked, an annoyed tone in his voice. The being suddenly hunched over as the beating sound of the Chaos Heart began to stop. It indicated that the barrier around Dimentio's being had lowered, and that it was no longer invincible. Behind the Purity Heart, three beings leapt out of the light and landed before the Heroes.

"Are yeh all doin' all right?" O'Chunks asked.

"We've been better." Bowser grunted, surprised at the appearance of his former enemy.

"Peach, I'm sorry for calling you an idiot…" Mimi said to the pink heroine as soon as she saw her. "You…did the right thing…" Mimi said, smiling.

"It's fine, Mimi." Peach didn't know if that was the best thing to be saying at a time like this, but she let that go quickly. Mario's eyes widened as Count Bleck neared him. He didn't have time to write the question he wanted to know the answer to, yet Count Bleck knew right away what the Heroes wanted to know.

"Look back at the Purity Heart." Count Bleck told them. The three Heroes looked over to see the rainbow wings of their fifth member. Timpani hadn't exactly transformed, yet she still gained the wings she had in her Tippi transformation. Her hair had also turned to a pure golden shade, just as the Timpani in the past. She had transformed into her true self, the person she was before Merlon had erased her memory. Minus the wings, of course. She floated behind the Purity Heart, holding it in her hands.

"Timpani!" Bowser and Peach exclaimed, being the only Heroes who could verbally react to her appearance.

"How could this be possible?!" Dimentio demanded. "The Pure Hearts were used on Count Bleck! How could their power be revitalized?!"

"Sorry, Dimentio! But when love's here, there's _always _a way!" Mimi exclaimed, sticking her tongue out at the large being.

"_Love_? Ah, so it was Timpani's feelings for Blumiere that resurrected the power of the Purity Heart…" Dimentio sounded nervous, yet another laugh came out of the being's mouth. "I scoff at your attempts to defeat me!" he yelled, preparing for another attack.

"Everyone!" Timpani yelled, looking down at the Heroes. "Attack him now! He no longer has the defense of the Chaos Heart!" she commanded. Bowser smirked, wanting to be the first to attack.

"If you say so!" Bowser said before taking in a breath.

"FIERY WRATH!" he yelled, fire erupting from his mouth and flying toward the leg of the enemy. It actually hit.

"Mercy!" Dimentio cried. "Wait…" he realized that he had actually felt _pain._ "NO!" Dimentio exclaimed, knowing that the Heroes had the advantage now.

"PURE PINK KISS!" Peach yelled, firing a sphere of pink light at the head of the being, right where Dimentio was.

"AH!" Dimentio let out a yell as he was hit directly. "Damn you…" he hissed, firing both fists at the Heroes. There was no holding back now. Before the fists reached the Heroes, one of the fists was held back by the muscles of O'Chunks, who threw the fist back at the being's torso. The other was stopped by several rubees scratching every inch of it. It fell to the ground, now useless.

"Y-You…" Dimentio hissed. Lasers shot out of the eyes of the being, attempting for another attack. Mario rushed at the being's legs, ready to strike them with his hammer. That was successful, yet so were the lasers. The lasers hit both Mimi and O'Chunks, who fell onto their backs. Groaning, they tried to get up. Peach ran over to try and heal them, only healing them briefly.

"Try to be careful." Peach warned them.

"Thanks…but I won't let you save my life twice!" Mimi said, a grin appearing across her green face. Rubees shot out of the ground, two of them flying into her hands. She used them as blades and accompanied Mario in striking at the being's legs. The red gems drilled into the legs of the being, doing superior damage. However, Dimentio wasn't going to sit back and let this happen. The lasers were aimed at the two near the legs, yet Mario was smart enough to do something that Mimi couldn't figure out. He rushed toward Mimi, forcing the rubees out of her hands and throwing them up in front of the lasers. The rubee deflected the laser back at the head of the being, damaging it.

"How clever!" Peach exclaimed, impressed with Mario's move.

"Wow, I never would have thought of that…" Mimi was impressed as well, yet she held back the rage that she could have done something impressive too. Bowser growled at the sound of Peach praising Mario, and decided to show his own skills.

"Hey, Peach! Get a load of this!" Bowser bragged, ready to breathe fire on the large being's lower torso. However, Dimentio's fists were faster. The fist was ready to slam down on the largest hero without his knowledge of it, and Peach was about to alert him until a white and blue blur rushed by and pushed Bowser out of the way. Count Bleck pointed his staff at the fist in fast time, releasing a medium sized Void that began to suck in the fist that was ready to destroy Bowser. The void swallowed the fist, and spit it back out at the being's head.

"Bowser, don't try to steal the spotlight." Peach muttered, knowing that he was attempting to show off. Bowser groaned.

"Ah, Count Bleck, I had no idea you still had the will to fight!" Dimentio taunted, noticing Bleck's sudden efforts of defense.

"Today is the day your game ends, Dimentio." Bleck said, glaring at the being. "You will release the innocent girl known as Ms. L and you will be gone from this universe for good!"

"Ah ha ha ha! Why the sudden optimism?" Dimentio mocked. "Did the light of the Purity Heart _blind _you? Or perhaps the love of that girl?" Dimentio controlled the being to step toward Timpani's floating body.

"You cannot harm Timpani!" Bleck yelled.

"Watch me!" Dimentio stated bluntly, raising both of his fists in attempt to bring down the floating heroine. However, the Purity Heart had gathered enough power to counter the ability of this being that had fused with Dimentio. As the fists almost impacted with Timpani, a barrier blocked the hit.

"W-what?!" Dimentio asked in shock, his attack in failure. Timpani raised her hands before the being, the Purity Heart sparkling with the brilliant light. The light began to increase, filling the room with the brightest glimmer that anyone had seen. Timpani floated closer toward the being, her eyes closed. Yet, she could somehow see with the bright light guiding her. The Heroes watched in awe as she used the power of the Purity Heart to force the being away from her.

"Impossible! How could the Purity Heart be revived after it was used to destroy Bleck?" Dimentio questioned, the being losing strength.

"I will rid this world of the darkness and you, Dimentio!" Timpani yelled, her body beginning to glow with a rainbow aura. The colors of the eight Pure Hearts that were originally in Timpani's possession began to flow over her body, giving her the power of the purest light. She could feel the darkness of the Chaos Heart growing weaker as she strengthened the power of the Purity Heart, using every inch of love in her body that she could find. Her desire to rescue Lulu, her compassion for her teammates and former classmates…and the wish to be with Blumiere once more.

"Foolish human of the light!" Dimentio stated, a smile appearing on the face of his large puppet-like being. "You can never truly defeat me, no matter how much the Purity Heart may counter the Chaos Heart!" he yelled, his voice suddenly covered by the sound of the being falling to the ground…defeated. The head fell to the ground last, the tall girl that was held captive within the being falling out. Mario was the first to rush to the weakened Luigi, trying to shake her awake.

"Ugh…what was I doing…?" Luigi questioned, feeling a throbbing pain in her head.

"Lulu!" Peach and Bowser yelled, running right over to the green-capped Heroine. By this time, Mario had locked Luigi in a tight hug. Luigi returned the embrace to her small friend, and her eyes looked over to Timpani, who was slowly lowering to the ground. She landed on her feet, the rainbow aura slowly fading away from her body. The Purity Heart still was held tight in her hands, still glowing with the radiant glimmer that was used to defeat Dimentio.

"Timpani!" Luigi rushed toward Timpani, relieved to see that she was okay. "You did it! You destroyed Dimentio, didn't you?" Luigi asked, a wide smile on her face.

"_**Not quite...**_"

A voice alerted the group to turn around, suddenly hearing the familiar beating sound of the Chaos Heart. It was still using its power! Another strong tremor shook the room, forcing every Hero and ally to the ground.

"Why is the Chaos Heart still using its power?!" Peach asked, glaring at Count Bleck. She knew that he would know. The count took a moment to think, but he knew right away what the problem was.

"Dimentio is still controlling the heart. Although he was vanquished by the light of the Purity Heart, he has left behind a shadow of power to control it." Count Bleck explained.

"Dammit! So what do we do?" Bowser asked, trying to stand up. Count Bleck's eyes turned to Timpani, who was struggling to keep her grip on the Purity Heart so that it would not escape her hands. His crimson eyes shimmered with deep thought. He had to make the hardest decision ever…

"Come! I know how we can stop this!" Count Bleck exclaimed, finding a brief moment where the tremor calmed and the group was able to stand. Bleck raised his staff before him, and suddenly a large pair of double doors appeared. The group stared in awe, all except Mimi and O'Chunks who knew he had this ability already.

"This way!" Mimi called for the Heroes to follow them into the doors and into the unknown room. Timpani felt uncertain about what was to happen, but she knew deep in her heart that she would be a part of whatever was to happen in order to stop the Chaos Heart from devouring the universe.

Behind the large doors, there stood a strange sight to the group. They had been in the darkness of Castle Noir for so long that they had forgotten the realms of light in the universe. The group stood before a large altar, in which was decorated with white blossoms and even a few fancy curtains that draped the rim of the stairs that led up to the altar.

"What is this place?" Luigi asked, unsure of where they were. "Are we still in Castle Noir?" she asked, turning to Bleck. He nodded.

"This is a room that was unaffected by the first destruction of my home." Count Bleck explained. Timpani's eyes widened.

"_Your _home? You mean Castle Noir is…" Timpani was stopped in midsentence.

"Timpani." Count Bleck turned to Timpani with a gravely serious expression. Timpani let go of the subject she had just mentioned and gave him her full attention. "Do you…still love me?" Count Bleck asked. It seemed very random to some of the group members, yet others were not shocked to hear this. Luigi was in fact _smiling _at those words. Timpani's shocked expression slowly turned into a genuine smile.

"Of course, Blumiere." She said simply. Bleck felt himself smile, and took her hand. Slowly, Count Bleck led Timpani toward the altar's stairs. O'Chunks reacted to this.

"Wait! Count, what ar' yah doin'?" O'Chunks questioned, seeing that he was leading her toward the altar.

"The Purity Heart's power is based on one thing, something that I am still lucky to have." Bleck explained. "_True love._"

"What will happen?" Peach asked, worried for what would happen to the both of them. Count Bleck used his free hand to cover up his face with his hat.

"I do not know for sure, but…whatever happens, I know that these universes will continue to live in peace." Count Bleck explained. "Timpani…are you ready?" Count Bleck asked. Timpani nodded. She knew her fate had come to her. The fate that she was given to at the start, when she had lost her memory. Without another word, the Heroes watched her and Bleck walk up the altar's stairs and to the altar itself. As they reached the top, the largest tremor of them all began to shake the room. The end of this dimension was very near.

"Hurry!" Peach and Luigi yelled in unison, feeling the end of the world tear them a part.

As the two came to the top of the altar, Timpani let go of Count Bleck's hand and stood across from him.

"It saddens me that your life has to be cut short, Timpani…" Count Bleck's voice was no longer cold and twisted as it was before. It was the voice she had been dying to hear ever since her lover had disappeared from her life. The voice of her Blumiere.

"For the sake of the universe, my life is nothing." Timpani said softly. Bleck shook his head.

"You should not be saying such things. The universe was about to perish because I could not find you. To me, you are the universe." Bleck explained, taking her hand once again as Timpani allowed the Purity Heart to float above them.

"Blumiere…" Timpani whispered his name, knowing whatever would happen to her, it would not matter. She would be with Blumiere from now until the end of time, and that was something she knew in her heart. "I love you…" she whispered, slowly moving in to embrace him. Count Bleck wrapped his cape around Timpani as she placed her arms around his body. The Purity Heart seemed to strongly react to their actions, giving off the same rainbow light it did before.

"I love you, Timpani…and from now on, we shall never part…" he muttered to her, leaning toward her face for a soft kiss. Timpani returned the kiss, which allowed the Purity Heart to use the full extent of its power. The Heroes below the altar watched the two lovers with tears in their eyes (even Bowser). Slowly, and without much of a warning, the light of the Purity Heart began to flow through the skies of dimensions near and far, using its power to stop the Chaos Heart. All of the dimensions that were lost were born again, giving new life to the people who lost their lives in the world's destruction.

Everything was restored…

Along with the lost love of Blumiere and Timpani…

"_Timpani, do you remember the promise we made to each other that day?"_

"_Yes, I remember…"_

"_If there was a place we could be happy together, we would find it…will you come with me to that place now?"_

"_Blumiere…of course…I will always be with you…"_

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

As the light cleared from the Purity Heart, the Heroes opened their eyes to see that they no longer stood before the strange altar in Castle Noir. They looked around to see the eight rainbow doors on the stone wall of Flipside Tower. They were back in Flipside!

"We're back home!" Peach exclaimed, hugging the nearest person to her, which ironically happened to be Bowser. A giddy smile spread across Bowser's face as he was locked in Peach's sudden embrace. As all eyes turned toward them, Peach let go quickly. Bowser was ready to burn them for ruining his only perfect moment.

"Hey! Look at that!" Luigi pointed to the large void in the sky, which now was shrinking away from existence. The group smiled at its disappearance, each congratulating each other on their efforts. O'Chunks and Mimi hovered over the body of the unconscious Nastasia; trying to make sure she was okay. As if it were a miracle, her body began to stir. O'Chunks smiled as he alerted the group.

"'Oy! Teh lass awakens!" O'Chunks exclaimed. Nastasia groaned as she got up.

"Where are we…?" she suddenly remembered the scenery of Flipside Tower and her eyes widened as she placed her glasses back on her face. "Why are we in Flipside?" Nastasia asked.

"Timpani and Blumiere saved us all…they used the Pure Hearts to stop the Chaos Heart and Dimentio." Luigi explained. Nastasia's eyes widened.

"Um, so wait…" Nastasia looked around. "Is…are they still here?" Nastasia looked around frantically. The group realized that they were not present.

"They're not here with us…" Peach said, shocked. "It can't be! They can't be…"

"No, they're not dead." Luigi suddenly said with a smile. "They're alive…and very happy somewhere." Luigi explained. Nastasia looked away from the group, obviously hurt that Count Bleck was no longer there.

"Count…why did you leave me all alone?" Nastasia let out a loud cry as she began to sob. The two former minions of Nastasia rushed toward her to try and cheer her up.

"Aw, cheer up Lassy! Teh Count wouldn't want yeh ta be sad!" O'Chunks said, smiling. Mimi nodded.

"Yeah, Nassy! There's no reason for you to be so sad. He wouldn't have liked to see you so down about him leaving. I'm sure he's thinking of you wherever he is…and thanking you for everything you did to help him." Mimi's sudden wisdom made Nastasia's eyes widen. The secretary wiped away the tears from beneath her eyes.

"Y-Yeah…he wouldn't approve of me sobbing like that." Nastasia said, a weak smile appearing.

"Nastasia…" Luigi moved toward Nastasia, also trying to cheer her up. "Blumiere was a good friend to you, and Timpani was a good friend to me. I know that deep in my heart that someday, they will both return to find us." Luigi explained.

"Y-you think so?" Nastasia asked, feeling a little more optimistic. Luigi nodded.

"I'm _sure _of it." Luigi told her. Mario placed a hand on Luigi's shoulder, giving her his own confident smile.

"We will all miss them both." Peach said. "But, as Lulu has said, I am sure that they are both happy wherever they are…" Peach explained, smiling as she looked at the yellow sky.

"Hey, who's hungry?" Luigi suddenly asked, already near the elevator with Mario. "I say that we should go celebrate our victory at Saffron's!" Luigi exclaimed.

"Hey, greenie actually has a good idea!" Bowser said, grinning.

"That's one more than you'll ever have." Luigi laughed at her own comeback. Bowser groaned and followed her, O'Chunks, Mimi, and Nastasia following him. Peach remained behind, staring up at the very yellow sky.

"Timpani, where ever you are…I know that you will find the happiness that you so deserve." Peach said softly, finally walking toward the elevator with the others.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

"So, Timpani and Blumiere are somewhere else?" Merlon questioned.

The day had gone and passed, and everything that had happened now seemed like nothing more than a mere memory. Although it had only been a few hours, the Heroes and their new allies were tired. Many had already retired for the day, leaving only Mute and Lulu to talk to Merlon about what had happened. The brown sky actually had some stars that painted across the horizons, which made Merlon smile.

"Their love was what saved us all." Lulu explained. Merlon could hear the sadness in her voice, and so could Mute.

"I am surprised." Merlon said suddenly. Lulu looked over toward him with confusion.

"Why?" Lulu asked. "They were in love with each other, the deepest connection I've ever seen…" Lulu immediately assumed he was talking about Blumiere and Timpani, but his laugh told her that she had made a mistake in assuming what it was.

"No…not that. I knew that their relationship was strong. It's just the bond I created between you and Timpani was never meant to be." Merlon explained. "Yet, now, every time you speak of her, although you know that you two were never meant to be best friends, you act as though you were related by blood!" Merlon explained.

"I've been thinking about that a lot, I'll admit." Lulu said, "But I know now that no bond is truly fake. We meet people for a reason, and something good always comes out of that reason. Whether it's a lesson or a wonderful relationship, either one will give you something special." Lulu stared into the dark sky, the silent boy nearby smiling at her monologue.

"Yes, I will miss her too." Merlon agreed. Mute nodded. The calm wind of Flipside was blowing without so much as a whisper, leaving the night air calm and cool. Peace had finally returned. Order was restored. Yet, not everyone was truly happy.

'_It was fate that brought us together…not Merlon. Blumiere, please make Timpani happy. But, one day, I beg of you, please bring her back to us so that I can really tell her goodbye…_'

Merlon stood, dusting off his robe before walking toward the elevator that led up to the second floor.

"Try not to stay up too late, kids. Although it's the weekend, you need all of your rest before going back to school." Merlon laughed as he went into the elevator and returned to his house. Lulu and Mute were left alone near Saffron's, just looking away from each other. Lulu finally turned toward her friend and smiled.

"Do you miss her too?" Lulu asked. Mute nodded slowly. He took out his notepad, writing down a note for her to read.

_We all do. Lulu, I know she will come back one day, but we must be patient. We will be ready to welcome her back when she comes. Until then, Peach, Burly, Mimi, O'Chunks, Nastasia, and I will make sure to fill the void that Timpani used to fill. _

Lulu smiled.

"Mute…" she gave the smaller boy a hug, happy to hear that he was trying to cheer her up. The night was beginning to pass away, and Flipside was finally able to sleep easy without worries. It was the greatest feeling in the world.

That nothing could ever worry them again.

**// . r a i n b o w . //**

And somewhere far away, in the light of the moon, two lovers were sitting together and watching the stars in the heavenly sky. The sky was not brown as she was accustomed to, but instead was a dark indigo. No matter the color, it made no difference. She was just happy to be with the one she loved on this perfect evening. She leaned against his shoulder, slowly falling asleep at calming melodies of a running river nearby. The voice of her beloved stirred her.

"_Look, Timpani. The stars are beautiful, aren't they?"_

"…_There's a tradition in my village. We believe that the wishes on stars come true."_

"_Oh, is that so? In that case, we'd better get wishing. Don't you think?"_

"_I don't need to wish anymore."_

"_Mmm?"_

"_I already got my wish. Now…I have everything I need right here…"_

**// . e n d . //**


End file.
